396 VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES. 



and other parts of the Levant, yielding berries larger 

 than those which are brought from the south of 

 France. They are distinguished by the name of 

 Turkey berries, and are preferred to the French. 

 Both kinds yield a very beautiful, but remarkably 

 fugitive colour. No mordant has yet been discovered 

 with sufficient affinity to this colouring matter to ren- 

 der their combination permanent. It therefore can- 

 not be used with advantage to the consumer, except 

 where a fine but very transient colour is required. 

 These berries are, however, of very common use in 

 our dye-houses. 



Three thousand four hundred and twenty-five cwts. 

 were imported in 1831. They are admitted on a 

 duty of 2s. per cwt. Their average price for the last 

 five years was 68s. 



Yellow berries of another description are brought 

 from Persia, and from some parts of Asia Minor ; 

 these are much superior to the French berries. They 

 are very soluble in salt water. A gentleman on a 

 passage from Smyrna on board a ship that carried a 

 few bags of these yellow berries, observed that when 

 a leak was sprung and the pumps applied, the water 

 brought up from the hold was almost immediately of 

 a bright yellow colour. This curious effect, which 

 gave to the deck of the vessel the appearance of a 

 dye-house, continued for two whole days, or until the 

 circumstances of the navigation allowed the sailors to 

 remove that part of the cargo from the action of the 

 sea-water. 



The well-known pigment, sap-green, is simply the 

 concentrated juice of the ripe berries of buckthorn. 



Common saw-wort, or Serratula tinctoria, is a 

 perennial plant indigenous to England, growing in 

 woods and in pasture grounds, where it flowers in 

 the month of July. A decoction of its leaves pro- 



