60 REPORT — 1876. 



research, it will be well perhaps to see what has been their influence on the colour- 

 ing-matters which were in use before them, and also the extent of their present 

 consumption. 



The influence of the so-called aniline colours on dye woods, &c. has been 

 remarkably small. It is true that at first mag-enta had a depreciating influence 

 upon cochineal ; but this has passed away, and now the consumption of that dye 

 is as great as ever ; certainly its price is much lower than it used to be ; but this is 

 due to a variety of causes, especially the great increase in the cultivation of the 

 insect at Teneriffe. And perliaps this want of influence is not so very remarkable, 

 when we consider the aniline colours are entirely new products, diSering in com- 

 position and properties from the old coloming-matters, and therefore could only 

 displace them to a certain extent. 



But whilst this is the case, the aniline colours have been more and more used, 

 imtil at present it is computed that their annual sale in the United Kingdom and 

 on the Continent exceeds £2,000,000. This is probably due to new applications 

 and increase of trade. 



When, however, we come to consider the influence of the anthracene colom'S 

 alizarin and authrapurpurin, more generally known as " artificial alizarin,'" we find 

 we have a very different tale to tell. 



Here, in the case of alizarin, we have a competition not between two colouring- 

 matters, but the same from different sources — the old source being the madder- 

 root, the new one coal-tar. And when we introduce the consideration of authra- 

 purpurin, which produces such magnificent reds, much brighter than alizarin or 

 ordinary purpurin, we see we have not only a replacement but an improvement, 

 so that these new colouring-matters throw "the old ones into the shade. The pro- 

 ducts being purer, the clearing processes for goods dyed with them are also 

 necessarily easier and simpler. 



It will be interesting to examine into the statistics of the madder and garancin 

 trade in a brief manner, to see what has been the iuffuence of artificial alizarin on 

 their consumption. The following figures are mostly calculated from the Board-of- 

 Trade returns. 



During the ten years immediately preceding the introduction of artificial alizarin 

 the average annual imports of madder into the United Kingdom were 15,292 tons, 

 and of garancin 2278 tons. Estimating the value of the former at £2 2s. Qd., and 

 the latter at £8 per cwt., which were about the average prices during tliat period, 

 the annual value in round numbers was about one million sterling. 



The introduction of artificial alizarin, however, has so influenced the value of 

 madder that its price is now less than one half; and thus a saving of over half a 

 million sterling per annum lias been effected to the manufacturers of the United 

 Kingdom, one half of which may be put down to Glasgow. 



So much for its eflfect in reducing prices ; but what has been its influence on the 

 consumption of these dj'e-stuft's ? 



I have already stated the average quantity of these substances imported per 

 annum prior to the discovery of the artificial product, and will now compare it 

 with the imports of last year and this. That for the present year of course will be 

 an estimated quantity, and calculated from the returns for the first seven months. 



Average annual imports. 

 1859-1868. 1875. 1876. 

 tons. tons. tons. 



Madder 15,292 5014 3653 



Garancin 2,278 1293 813 



These figures speak for themselves. 



The money value, which was formerly £1,000,000 per annum, is now, cal- 

 culating from the estimated quantity for the year, only £138,105, say £140,000, 

 taking garancin at £4 per cwt. and madder at £1 per cwt., prices slightly in 

 excess of their present value. 



At the present prices the cultivation of madder-roots is unremunerati^'e ; and 

 it is to be expected that madder-growing will soon be a thing of the past, thousands 

 of acres of land being at the same time liberated for the growth of those products 



