364 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MAY 37, 1S3S. 



[From Transacacliong of the Essex Ilorticulturai Society, for 1831.] 

 ON COLiORIMG. 



[Continued froni page 3*18.) 



Metallic salts may also be used as iiiordaDts. 

 Those of iron and tin are cxtonsii-ely used in dye- 

 ing. Iron is used as a iiionlant in two states, 

 in that of suljiliale of iron, (cop])oras) or 

 acetate of iron, that is iron dissolved in vinegar 

 or in tlie acid olitaiiied by distilling wood (pyro- 

 lygneons acid.) 



Tin is used as ;i mordant in three states — dissol- 

 ved in nitro muriatic acid, (u mixture of the acids 

 ohtained from salt-petrc and common salt) in ace- 

 tous acid, and in a mi.\ture of sulphuric and muri- 

 atic acids. The nitrn muriate of tin is the common 

 mordant employed by dyers. It is prepared in the 

 following njanner. BTcIt block tin and pour it into 

 water briskly agi'.atcd with a bundle of small rods. 

 Take of this gnuiulatcd tin - two ounces. 



Nitric acid - - one pound, 



Water - - half a pound, 



Common salt or sa! amnioiwac two ounces, 

 mix them together in a glass vessel, and the tin 

 v^ill be slowly dissolved. * When nitro-niuriate 

 of tin is to be used as d mordant, it is dissolved in 

 a large quantity of water, and the cloth is dipped 

 ',n the solution until sufficiently .saturated. It is 

 then taken out, washed and dried. Tartar is 

 usually dissolved in the wtitcr along with the 

 , nitro muriate of tin. This changes the compound 

 into a solution of the tartrate of tin and nitro mu- 

 riate of potash. The tartrate of tin is again de- 

 composed l)y the cloth. The metal quits the acid 

 and attaches itself to the fibres of the cloth, and 

 in this .state possc.'sscs a strong affinity for coloring 

 matters, and forms with them the most permanent 

 and brilliant dyes. 



Tan is also emjdoyed, along with other mor- 

 dants. It is found ill nnlgalls, oak and hemlock 

 barks, sumach, and in a great variety of other veg- 

 etables. It is tiiat part of barks, &c. which has a 

 strong affinity for glue, of which hides are chiefly 

 composed, unites with it and forms leather. It has 

 a .strong affinity also lor cloth and for several col- 

 oring matters. Silk is capable of absorbing a 

 very great proportion of tan, and thereby acquii-es 

 a great increase of weight. For tliis psrpose 

 alone it is sometimes employed by silk manufac- 

 turers. 'J'an is often employed, also, along with 

 other mordants, in order to produce a compound 

 mordant. Oil is also used for the same purpose, 

 in dyeing cotton and linen. 



Besides these mordants there are several other 

 substances frequently used as auxiliaries, either to 

 facilitate the combination of the mordant with the 

 cloth or to alter the shade of color ; the chief of 

 these are tartar, sugar of lead, common salt, sal 

 ammoniac, sulphate of copi)i;r, (blue vitriol) ace- 

 tate of copper, &c. 



Mordants not only render the dye permanent, 

 but have also considerable influence on the color 

 produced. The stmie coloring matter produces 



* When common salt, vvliich is composed of muriatic 

 acid and soda, or sal ammoniac, composed of the same 

 acid and ammonia, is mixed with diluted nitric .ncid, 

 apart of the nitric acid seizes on the soda or ammonia 

 and sets at liberty a part of the muriatic acid, which 

 mixing with the remaining nitric acid, forms nitro muri- 

 atic acid, (aqua regia) which readily dissolves tin, gold, 

 •fee. It is more economical, however to add sulphuric 

 acid enough to saturate the base of the salt, which sets 

 all the muriatic acid at liberty, and leaves the nitric acid 

 ndtminished. 



very difl^erent dyes, according as the mordant is 

 changed. Cochineal, with salts of iron, produces 

 black, with the salts of tin, scarlet, and with alum 

 crimson. In dyeing, then, it is not only necessary 

 to procure a mordant which has a sufficiently 

 strong affinity for the coloring matter and 

 the cloth, and the coloring matter which pos- 

 sesses the wished for color in perfection, but we 

 must ])rocure a mordant and a coloring matter 

 which when combined together, shall produce the 

 wished for color in perfection. 



The colors denominated by dyers simple, be- 

 cause they are tlie foundation of all their other 

 processes, are four, viz. blue, yellow, red, and 

 black. A few simple directions for dyeing wool, 

 silk and cotton of these colors will now be given. 

 We write for prudent and economical housewives, 

 silk culturisis, and agricultural manufacturers, and 

 tbe nieans within the reach of such must therefore 

 be kept continually in view, in all the operations 

 recommended. 



BLUE. 



Indigo is the only substance that can be econom- 

 ically used in families for coloring blue. The 

 best or purest indigo is light, easily powdered, 

 tasteless, almost destitute of smell, and breaks 

 smootldy, that is with smooth surfaces. Some 

 will float on water, and this is generally the purest. 

 The color of indigo also varies. There is the 

 blue, the violet, and copper colored. Although 

 these may all contain nearly the same quantity of 

 coloring matter, yet they arc difterently valued, 

 the blue selling 20 per cent higher than the violet, 

 and from 40 to 80 per cent more than the copper 

 colored. The blue is preferred by dyers for com- 

 bination, or solution in sulphuric acid, and the 

 copper colored for the indigo vat, in which it is 

 dissolved in a potash lye, aided by bran, madder 

 or other vegetable products, in a state of fermen- 

 tation. IJefore indigo can be applied and fi.xed 

 upon the fibre of cloth, it must be dissolved 

 in water. But it cannot be dissolved in water in 

 its blue state ; it must be converted to a green or 

 yellow color, and then it readily dissolves, is at- 

 tracted by tlie fibres of the cloth, becomes per- 

 manently combined with them, and on being ex- 

 posed to the air becomes again blue. In the so- 

 lution of the indigo, therefore, consists the whole 

 art of coloring blue. The following are among 

 the most easy and simple methods of dissolving 

 indigo, or, in other words, forming a blue dye. 



FIRST METHOD. 



Take indigo, well powdered, one ounce; quick 

 lime, one ounce ; pota.sh two ounces : copperas, 

 two ounces ; mohisses half a pint ; warm water, 

 one gallon — mix, and stir occasionally, keeping 

 the vessel, of copper, iron, or earthen, well cov- 

 ered and in a warm place. The liquor will soon 

 become green, covered with a copper colored or 

 blue scum. In twentyfour hours it will be fit for 

 use. Immerse the stufl'to lie colored for a long- 

 er or shorter time, according to the shade required. 

 The strength of the color may also be varied by 

 using a greater or less quantity of water. A very 

 little practice will enable any one to give wool, 

 silk, or cotton, properly prcjiared, with this dye a 

 beautiful and permanent blue, of any shade they 

 may choose. 



SECO.ND METHOD SAXON BLUE. 



In this method, the indigo is dissolved by the 

 aid of sulphuric acid, without losing its blue coloj- 



but undergoes a change which renders it less per- 

 manent, and is therefore not much used except for 

 articles not very durable, or when a deep unfading 

 tint is not considered of much importance. This 

 preparation is kept in the shops, under the name 

 of Liquid Blue or Chemical Blue, and is much 

 used for blueing white cotton and linen garments, 

 from which it is readily washed out, even in cold 

 water. It is also extensively used in coloring 

 greens, giving with yellow, a more brilliant color 

 than the blue obtained by the first method. On 

 wool and silk it is much more durable, thati on 

 cotton, and on articles which do not require fre- 

 quent washing may be often used advantageously 

 as a blue dye. It is prepared as follows : 



Take indigo, well powdered, one ounce; sul- 

 phuric acid, four ounces — mix it in a glass or 

 stone ware vessel, and let it stand twentyfour 

 hours, stirring it occasionally — then add one 

 ounce of dried potash. Let it stand twentyfour 

 hours longer, add half a pint of water, and bottle 

 it up for use. 



Mix a wine glass full of this liquid in a pail of 

 boiling water, and dip the stuffs till they sicquire 

 the color desired. More of the liquid must be 

 added when the water becomes nearly clear before 

 the stuffs have acquired a color sufficiently deep. 



YELLOW. 



There are a great number of imported and na- 

 tive plants, roots and bai-ks, that by the aid of the 

 iiionlants alum and tin, dye yellow. *But the 

 very best of all these, viz. the yellow oak bark, or 

 quercitron bark, as it has been named in England, 

 being very plenty in this country, it seems alto- 

 gether unnecessary even to mention any other. 



To dye ten pounds weight of cloth, or woolen 

 stuffs, of the highest and most beautiful orange 

 yellow, 1 lb. of quercitron bark, and the same 

 weight of murio sulphate of tin, will be requir- 

 ed ; * the bark powdered and tied up in a bag of 

 thin cotton or linen cloth, may be first put into a 

 dyeing vessel, which of course must be brass, 

 copper, glass or earthen, with hot water, for the 

 space of six or eight minutes ; then the inurio- 

 sulphate of tin may added, and the mixture well 

 stirred two or three minutes. The cloth, previous- 

 ly wet thoroughly with warm water, may be pu.t 

 in and turned briskly a few minutes; the color 

 applies itself in this way so equally to the cloth, 

 and so quickly that after the liquor begins to boil 

 the highest yellow may be produced in less than 

 fifteen minutes, without any danger of its proving 

 uneven. \ 



With a bright golden yellow, approaching less 



* Murio-sulphate of tin. This preparation differs 

 somewhat from the muriate of tin, or nilro-muriate of 

 tin, the method of preparing which is given in a pre- 

 ceding part of this essay. It is prepared as follows: 

 Take six ounces of muriatic acid, and pour it upon about 

 the same weight of tin, granulated as above directed, in a 

 glass vessel. Then pour slowly upon the same four 

 ounces of sulphuric acid, and let it stand in a warm place 

 till the acids saturate themselves with tin, that is, till they 

 will dissolve no more, which will be soon effected, if 

 Ileal be applied, and gradually withoat being heated. 



t Should a deeper orange tint be desirable, add to the 

 quercitron bark a little madder, perhaps an ounce or less 

 to the pound of bark, according to the color desired. 

 This will greatly increase the beauty of the color, when 

 exiimined by cnsdle-light. 



