YELLOW DYES. 395 



flowers are of a yellowish red colour, shaped some- 

 what like those of Indian reed. 



These roots are externally of a colour inclining- to 

 grey, but internally of a deep lively yellow. They 

 are very hard, and not unlike either in figure or size 

 to ginger. The roots are reduced to powder pre- 

 viously to being employed as a dye. Turmeric is 

 very rich in colour, but it possesses no durability, nor 

 can any combination of mordants give to it this 

 quality in a sufficient degree. Chloride of sodium 

 and muriate of ammonia are the substances which 

 best fix the colour, but they spoil its beauty by deep- 

 ening its hue almost to brown. It is sometimes em- 

 ployed to impart a golden cast to yellow made from 

 weld, or to give an orange tinge to scarlet, but the 

 shade which it imparts is very evanescent, and soon 

 vanishes on exposure to the air. 



In Europe it is sometimes employed as a substi- 

 tute for saffron to heighten the colour of certain culi- 

 nary preparations. It is very often used as an in- 

 gredient in yellow varnishes. 



Sixteen thousand and sixteen bags of turmeric 

 were imported into England in 1830, each bag 

 weighing from one to two cwt. 



That received from our own possessions is sub- 

 jected to an import duty of 2s. 4c. per cwt. ; coming 

 from foreign countries the duty is quadrupled. The 

 price of Bengal turmeric is from 22s. to 24s. per cwt.,. 

 and of the best Chinese 32s. per cwt. 



French or Avignon berries are known in commerce 

 as a yellow dye. They are the unripe berries of a 

 species of buckthorn, the Rhamnus infectorius, which 

 is an evergreen shrub, a native of Spain and southern 

 France. It grows to the height of ten or twelve feet, 

 sending forth many branches from the bottom. 



A particular variety of this plant grows in Candia 



