786 CARTHAMUS 



colour can bo pressed out. The flowers, which were yellow, become reddish, and 

 lose in this operation nearly one-half of their weight. In this state they are used. 



For extracting the red part of cart humus, or carthamic acid, and afterwards applying 

 it to stuff, the property which alkalis possess of dissolving it is had recourse to, and it 

 is precipitated by an acid. 



The process of dyeing consists, therefore, in extracting the colouring matter by 

 means of an alkali, and precipitating it on the stuff by means of an acid. 



This solution of carthamus is prepared with crystallised carbonate of soda, and it is 

 precipitated by lemon-juice. It has been remarked that lemons beginning to spoil 

 are fitter for this operation than those which are less ripe, whose juice retains much 

 mucilage. After squeezing out the lemon-juice, it is left to settle for some days. 

 The precipitate of carthamus is dried at a gentle heat upon plates of stone-ware ; 

 from which it is detached apd very carefully ground with talc which has been reduced 

 to a very subtle powder by means of the leaves of shave-grass (presle), and succes- 

 sively passed through sieves of increasing fineness. It is the fineness of the talc, aud 

 the greater or less proportion which it bears to the carthamus precipitate, which con- 

 stitute the difference between the high- and low-priced safflower rouges. 



Carthamus is used for dyeing silk, poppy, nacarat (a bright orange-red), cherry, 

 rose-colour, and flesh-colour. The process differs according to the intensity of the 

 colour, and the greater or less tendency to flame-colour that is wanted. But the car- 

 thamus-batb, whose application should be varied, is prepared as follows : 



The carthamus, from which the yellow matter has been extracted, and whose lumps 

 have been broken down, is put into a trough. It is repeatedly sprinkled with crude 

 pearl-ashes or soda, well powdered and sifted, at the rate of 6 Ibs. for 120 Ibs. of car- 

 thamus ; but soda is preferred, mixing carefully as the alkali is introduced. This 

 operation is called amestrer. The amestred carthamus is put into a small trough with 

 a grated bottom, first lining this trough with a closely-woven web. When it is about 

 half filled, it is placed over a large trough, and cold water is poured into the 

 upper one till the lower one becomes full. The carthamus is then set over another 

 trough till the water comes from it almost colourless. A little more alkali is now 

 mixed with it, and fresh water is passed through it. These operations are repeated 

 till the carthamus be exhausted, when it turns yellow. 



After distributing the silk in hanks upon the rods, lemon-juice, brought in casks 

 from Provence, is poured into the bath till it becomes of a fine cherry-colour ; this is 

 called turning the bath. It is well stirred, and the silk is immersed and turned round 

 the skein-sticks in the bath, as long as it is perceived to take up the colour. For 

 ponceau (poppy-colour), it is withdrawn, the liquor is run out of it upon the peg, and 

 it is turned through a new bath, where it is treated as in the first. After this it is 

 dried and passed through fresh baths, continuing to wash and dry it between each 

 operation, till it has acquired the depth of colour that is desired. When it has reached 

 the proper point, a brightening is given it by turning it round the sticks seven or 

 eight times in a bath of hot water, to which, about half a pint of lemon-juice for each 

 pailful of water has been added. 



When silk is to be dyed ponceau, or poppy-colour it must be previously boiled- as 

 for white ; it must then receive a slight foundation of arnatto, as explained in treating 

 of that substance. The silk should not be alumed. 



The nacarats, and the deep cherry-colours, are given precisely like the ponceaux, 

 only they receive no arnatto ground ; and baths may be employed "which have served 

 for the ponceau, so as to complete their exhaustion. Fresh baths are not made for the 

 latter colours, unless there be no occasion for the poppy. 



With regard to the lighter cherry-reds, rose-colour of all shades, and flesh-colours, 

 they are made with the second and last runnings of the carthamus, which are weaker. 

 The deepest shades are passed through first. 



The lightest of all these shades, which is an extremely delicate flesh-colour, re- 

 quires a little soap to be put into the bath. This soap lightens the colour, and pre- 

 vents it from taking too speedily, and becoming uneven. The silk is then washed, 

 and a little brightening is given it in a bath which has served for the deeper colours. 



All these baths are employed the moment they are made, or as speedily as possible, 

 because they lose much of their colour upon keeping, by which they are even entirely 

 destroyed at the end of a certain time. They are, moreover, used cold, to prevent the 

 colour from being injured. It must have been remarked, in the experiments just de- 

 scribed, that the caustic alkalis attack the extremely delicate colour of carthamus, 

 making it pass to yellow. This is the reason why crystals of soda are preferred to the 

 other alkaline matters. 



In order to diminish the expense of the carthamus, it is the practice in preparing 

 the deeper shades to rainglo with the first and tho second bath about one-fifth of the 

 bath of archil. 





