PREPARATION OF OAK! - 



CARTHAMUS 



TINCTORIUS 



Dye 



ft r..r. 



Madrw. 

 Hurma. 

 liombuy. 



Sowing. 



Thinnings 

 Eaten. 

 Seasons of 

 Crops. 



: is also a product of considerable value. In Berar safflower is 

 ularlv cultivated, though by no means to the extent formerly witnessed. 

 M adras it may be seen here and there, and in Burma it is more grown 

 table than as a dye. But in Bombay there are two centres of 

 luctioii. The cultivation for dye is not extensive, and is confined 

 Gujarat and the Karnatak, Kaira being perhaps the most important 

 trict. Dr. Hove (1787) refers to the dye of 1'nHlunnnH being 

 used in Gujarat to dye pagris. But the Bombay dye is regarded 

 much inferior to that of Dacca in Bengal. 



Methods. The systems of cultivation pursued are so very similar Methods. 

 iniirhout India that the subject may be treated collectively, the remark 

 made that it differs province by province, according to the amount 

 ut ion given and the local value of the crop. It is sown along with 

 er rabi crops such as gram, wheat, barley, tobacco, opium, chillies, 

 its, etc., from about the middle of October to the end of November, or 

 Chittagong as late as January. It requires a light sandy soil, and one 

 ich possesses a fair amount of moisture. In the better cultivation the 

 xl is lightly manured and ploughed repeatedly from May or June till 

 ing time. It is either sown broadcast or drilled, the latter in Bombay, 

 ills 18 to 22 inches apart of safflower alternating with the subsidiary 

 p. In the less important cultivation it forms single drills or surrounds 

 er crops, its spiny character serving the purpose of a protecting hedge, 

 the central flowering head appearing, this is nipped off in order to cause 

 ral shoots and a more copious flowering. The prunings and thinnings 

 eaten as a pot-herb. The crop comes into season in January to April, 

 even May, and is plucked every second or third day. Delay in collect- 

 ing the flushings of florets causes loss in dye. Rain during the flowering 

 is also very injurious. The florets being picked after fecundation, the 

 seed ripens and yields a supplementary crop. The average yield of dried Yield - 

 florets is in Bengal about 80 Ib. (according to Mollison (I.e. 100) from 100 

 to 120 Ib. in Bombay), per acre, and of oil-yielding seeds (fruits) 400 to 

 Ib. The first and the last pickings of florets are by most writers 

 nsiclered inferior in dye merit to those in mid-season. 



Manufacture. The day's collection is carried to the homestead and 

 partially dried in the shade. It is then rubbed between the hands, placed 

 an arrangement of basket filters, and pure stream (or slightly acidulated) 

 ,ter poured over. This removes the most soluble of the useless yellow 

 e, but care must be taken that the water is not alkaline, or the red 

 e also may be washed out and the florets rendered useless. When the 

 ,ter passes through clear the washings are regarded as complete. The 

 rets are then partially dried and pressed into the small characteristic 

 :es met with in trade ; then the drying is completed. According to 

 ,ylor the florets in his time were saturated with water in the evening 

 .d next morning trodden underfoot, and this was repeated for four or 

 :ve days until the water ran off clear. 



In centres where little attention is' given to the crop the florets are not 

 washed, and instead of being made into cakes, are formed into balls or 

 sold as loose powder. The presence of the yellow dye lowers the value and 

 increases the weight. In Bombay a curious sytem prevail? which con- 

 sists in rubbing into the florets a certain amount of til oil (a tola weight to 

 a pound of the florets). Mollison observes that this is the practice in 

 Gujarat, but it is known to produce loss of colour. This very possibly 



279 



Manufac- 

 ture. 



Florets Washed. 



Dried'and 

 Oaked. 



Oil rubbed 

 into Florets. 



