45 



the same time cheaper and more within the legitimate 

 sphere of dye-house technical operation than that of 

 M. Tessie' du Motay ; I mean, whereby the nascent oxygen 

 shall be presented to the silk in the vat from a solution, 

 instead of from a solid, as at present. 



Major Coussmaker has succeeded in obtaining perfectly 

 white Tusser silk by alteration of the conditions under 

 which the worm spins its cocoons He causes the cater- 

 pillar to void all its cement before allowing it to spin its 

 cocoon, but he does not give full particulars of his method. 

 His experiment is very remarkable. He has sent me a 

 cocoon which is free from all brownness, and resembles the 

 Chinese or Japanese cocoons in shade. If this result is 

 attainable, the difficult and costly bleaching process will be 

 rendered unnecessary. It would be curious aud useful to 

 know if so desirable a result is practicable. 



For all darkish shades I have found aniline dyes the 

 most effective, and in some cases the only, way at present 

 of obtaining them ; and until effective modes of dyeing 

 Tusser silk into permanent dark shades are discovered, 

 r petit teint must be employed for them as also for the lighter 

 shades for commercial uses. 



The artistic demand alone is not sufficient to stimulate 

 a growing industry like this, nor to encourage the utili- 

 sation of a product which can be cultivated over nearly 

 the whole of India ; and it is better to use what lies ready 

 to our hand, in the absence of better modes, and to accept 

 what commerce will, with or without our artistic leave, 

 be sure to take, on account of lowness of cost and rapidity 

 of application . I mean that the absolute permanence of 

 the dye for most of the purposes for which Tusser silk 

 will be used is of less importance than the development 

 and utilisation of so eminently useful a product of nature. 



There are plenty of permanent dyes at hand for Tusser 

 silk for embroidery and artistic purposes if artists will only 

 be content to use those natural colours which the best dyes 

 will yield to this silk, and not require combination and 

 tones which are unsuitable both to these dyes and to this 

 silk. Such colours are darkish shades of subdued blue, 

 gold, yellow, low-toned purples, strong reds, greens, &c. 



Amongst the numerous dye-stuffs indigenous to India 01 

 which I have received samples for examination, by order 

 of Her Majesty's Government of India, I may mention the 

 following as being the best adapted for dyeing Tusser silk ; 

 and others will, no doubt, appear as my examination 

 proceeds : — 



