92 RECIPES FOR DYEING. 



to pick out the dubbing, and to free the fibres of 

 the hackle when required. 



A FEW RECIPES FOR DYEING. 



Under the head of the May-fly, will be 

 found a recipe for dyeing feathers a yellowish 

 green. Mr. Packer, in his Dyers Guide, dyes 

 feathers yellow thus : Into a saucepan three 

 parts filled with soft water, put the feathers to 

 be dyed, and when they are thoroughly wetted, 

 add a small quantity of sulphate of iron. Simmer 

 them over a moderate fire a few minutes, arid the 

 feathers will have gained the colour-base or 

 mordant. Remove the liquor from the feathers, 

 and put to them instead a smaller quantity of soft 

 water, and when it is of a simmering heat, add a 

 small quantity of powdered Aleppo galls. 



The requisite shades of dun colour may be 

 obtained by varying the quantities of the iron 

 and galls. For a full dark dun, add sufficient 

 quantities of the sulphate and galls. By in- 

 creasing or diminishing the proportions of either 

 of these articles, you will obtain duns of divers 

 shades. If logwood be used instead of galls, a 

 different tint will be the result. Madder, cam- 

 wood, the bark of the alder tree, walnut peels, 

 produce different hues. Galls, logwood, and 

 madder should however be omitted when the 



