, 



HIE AL OR AOH DYE 



MORINDA 

 CITRIFOLIA 

 Deooan 



The young root* (more especially the root-bark) yield a good yellow DYB, Dy C . 

 w Inch is used fairly oxtensh !> l>\ the Natives of Eastern Bengal and Darje* 

 also by those in Assam, and to a small extent in Burrnu. In Darjeeling and the 



(lam lulls. Met 'mm u rites that tlm dye is prepare*! by pounding the bark of the 

 root and hoilin^ it in water, t hen straining and t -oiling over again till the required 

 consistency is obtained. In dyeii.;/ cotton ;. .-n-n or doth, . rtain ingredient* that 

 act as mordants or acids to brighten the colour are used along with the morinda 



!, or other d\es an- em ployed n\,,ii with it, to proilm-i. brilliant red*. 

 I luncaii (D\je and Dyeing in Aanam, _'iv<5H full p.u 1 1. M! u-s of thn H\ 



of d\ein- \\ ith Horiiiiiti iitiijn*H/niln that pre\ai! . Chip-, of tin- bark 



of Itttku (ititi-i-iiin-rti mi i> i<i<t) and the loaves of the Itxlh (,,,,,,/,,, ,,.. ..,,, 



:), liy most \\riters said to l>o the chief mordants employed. [('/. Mason, 

 Hnntiaand Its People (ed. Theobald), lss:t. U., 



M. cltrlfolla, Linn. ; M. tinctoria, Royjb. ; Watt, Agri. Ledg., 1895, No. 9, 2 plate*. Togari 



A plant often called the Indian "Mulberry," or Togari Wood of Madras ; 6.1, ach, Wood- 



tuirnnij, nna, nuna, itra, mad*ii, ><>/<i/i >////, etc. \ small true or large 

 b\vh formerly widely cultivated throughout India; hut \\ithin tin- pa-it few years 



ho industry has I ..... n entirely ruined and tlm cultivation practically abandoned. 



Cultivation. The cultivation of noi-imln ha.s IMHJII discontinued, or nearly 8O, Cultiva- 

 since the introduction of aniline dyos. In many district, v. hem it wan formerly tion. 

 a prolital.le industry, as iii tin- Central i'rovinces and Berar, it has for several influence of 

 years been practically discontinued. A full account of the methods of cultivation Aniline. 

 and position of the industry is given in the Agricultural Ledger (I.e. 137-9). It is 

 there stated that the crop was formerly very profitable. One of the most striking 

 features was the circumstance that from a perennial tree, which may attain a 

 height of 30 to 50 feet, a biennial field crop had l>e<>n produced that rarely Production and 

 exceeded a height of 2 feet, though it flowered and fruited freely. Biennial. 



The soil was prepared as for other crops. It was ploughed three times, cleared 

 of weeds, and sown in June. The seed was procured from previous field-crops Sowing. 

 and put through a process of special preparation. This was the choti-al, and was cttotiral. 

 the crop exclusively grown in certain localities, such as the Anjangaon neighbour- 

 hood. In other villages a crop known as moti-al was also grown, the seed for Hoti-al. 

 which was obtained from trees which grew near by, and not from the previous 

 field-stock. The fruits were collected, piled in a heap till they turned black and the 

 pulp softened. This was accomplished in three or four days. After separating 

 the seeds by breaking the fruit on stones or by the mogra (mallet), tne seeds 

 were piled together for fifteen days. To remove the remainder of the pulp the 

 seeds were placed in baskets and sunk in the river and finally spread out to dry. 

 About 40 Ib. were drill-sown to the acre. The moti-al often flowered and fruited Seasons. 

 the first year, and would continue to do so during the second or even third. At 

 1 he village of Anjangaon, the choti-al crop was usually gathered in the third year 

 and dug up somewhere in November to January. Sandy soils were best suited, Soila. 

 black soils being too hard for the roots to penetrate. The Anjangaon cultivators 

 considered the three-year-old crop to be the best. After the roots were dug up 

 and separated from the stems, they were cut into small pieces, spread out to dry, 

 and in eight to twelve days were ready for market. The al crop was followed 

 by cotton, which in its turn was followed again by al. 



Dye. A full account of the Native methods of utilising the dye is given in Dye. 

 the Dictionary. The reader should also consult the Agricultural Ledger (I.e. 

 141-4), where it will be found an account of the process in Gondal, Kathiawar, 

 has been contributed by Mr. M. J. Bharwada. A widespread opinion prevails 

 among Natives that textiles dyed with al are protected against the depredations Protection from 

 of white ants ; and if this were so, it would be a powerful argument in favour White AnU. 

 of its extended use, instead of its discontinuance, but the matter has never been 

 scientifically confirmed. Some years ago the dye was thoroughly investigated by 

 Prof. Hummel and Mr. Perkin of the Yorkshire College, Leeds. They found that 

 the root does not dye in its original condition, but that either the glucosides must Method of 

 first be hydrolysed or that certain acid substances must be removed. The former Dyeing. 

 is effected by boiling with acids or alkalis, or by fermentation. The process of re- 

 moving the acids consists in washing the powdered root three times, two hours each 

 time, with water. The last steeping may occupy twenty hours. The dye-bath ia 

 then charged with the washed root and 1-5 per cent, of its weight of sodium car- Sodium 

 bonate or 1 per cent, of chalk. The temperature is gradually raised to the boiling- Carbonate. 

 point and the colours cleared with boiling soap solution. [Cf. Forster, PI. Esc., 

 1786, 41; Unmphius, Herb. Amb., 1743, iii., !">!); Hunter, Morinda and lt 



783 



