43 



by modes which cannot be too emphatically condemned, 

 nor is the manufacturer or merchant to be altogether 

 blamed for this debased state of things. 



For by far the most purposes of life to which colour is 

 found to be a necessity and a comfort, the quality of 

 permanence is imperative, as well as that such colour 

 should partake of that sobriety and refinement which 

 distinguishes art from meretricious imitation of it. 



Amongst these may be mentioned all kinds of furniture 

 and upholstery decorations, carpets, printed fabrics, and so 

 much of dress as the tyranny of a frequent changing fashion 

 will allow. 



The best modes of imparting colour to the wild silks of 

 India have for some time engaged my attention, at the 

 request of the Government of India. 



With regard to the Eria and Mooga silks the investi- 

 gations are yet too incomplete for me to state more than I 

 have done under their respective headings, pp. 53, 61. 



I will describe as briefly as I can some of the more 

 salient points in my recent experiences and developments 

 of dyeing Tusser silk. 



Finding, many years ago, that Tusser silk opposed a 

 resistance in no ordinary degree to tinctorial matter, I 

 took an interest in the subject with a view of overcoming 

 this resistance. 



In its small affinity, ordinarily speaking, for colouring 

 matter, it ranks with the vegetable fibres of cotton and 

 flax ; and whilst, in many processes, it would come out 

 scarcely tinted, the mulberry-bred silk would be found to 

 have seized the colour with avidity. It, however, takes 

 the aniline dyes, under certain conditions, moderately well. 

 At that time, and for some years previously, little Tusser 

 silk had passed through the dye-houses. About 40 years 

 ago an attempt was made to introduce it in Macclesfield 

 for sewing silk for black ; but, on account of its irregular 

 way of taking the dye, it was abandoned, with the result 

 that little or no Tusser silk has been used for sewing 

 purposes from that day to this. About 12 years ago I 

 made many experiments in dyeing this silk, and had the 

 satisfaction of seeing my way to further improvement. 



In 1 873, the firm of which I am senior partner, consisting 

 of my brother and myself, exhibited, at the International 

 Exhibition at South Kensington, the result of progress up 

 to that time in a series of black and coloured silks, which 

 were in advance of any similar effort, either English or 

 continental, as far as my observations or knowledge 



