1 86 Miscellanies. 



MISCELLANIES. 

 (foreign and domestic.) 

 1. Vegetable coloring materials in Canada. — Mr. William Green 

 of Quebec, whose success in the investigation of the various color- 

 ing matters of Canada, obtained for him the gold Isis medal of the 

 Society of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce of London, describes a 

 brilliant and durable red dye in the root of a procumbent species of 

 Galium. This plant has a quadrangular stem with leflexed prickles, 

 surrounded at intervals by small oval leaves ; and a thread-hke root 

 which runs horizontally through the low soil formed in the woods 

 from the decay of leaves. On extraction from the soil, the root is 

 frequently colorless and transparent, resembling undyed silk ; but 

 in a few minutes after, acquires a dark hue and the property of 

 yielding brown and red colors. On washing it in cold water the 

 brown coloring matter is dissolved out j after which it is boiled in a 

 saturated solution of alum in water, and on the addition of ammo- 

 nia a beautiful lake is precipitated. Its hue is said to be equal in 

 beauty, though inferior in intensity, to that of the finest carmine, over 

 which, it has the advantage of much greater durability. Patches of 

 various specimens of carmine, and red lake from cochineal, were 

 painted in oil on a window pane ; which all faded, more or less, and 

 some nearly disappeared on being exposed to a strong light for two 

 weeks: whereas patches of red lake from the Galium remained 

 unchanged after a similar exposure for two years. The Indians 

 have been in the habit of extracting a dye from this plant with which 

 they tinge their porcupine quills, elk hair and other substances. The 

 Hurons derive their supply from Caughnawaugha, where it is thought 

 to be found of a superior quality, although the woods at Lorette 

 produce it.* 



A very rich and durable brown for dyeing, and a lake of the same 

 color for painting are aiforded by the outer husk of the butternut 

 {Juglans cinerea.) The color is copiously extracted by infusion in 

 warm water, and may be precipitated either by alum or muriate of 

 tin ; if by the latter, it will dry the quicker in oil. It is of a tint 

 intermediate between those of asphaltima and prussiate of copper. — 

 Trans. Lit. and Hist. Society of (Quebec. Vol. 1. 



* It is very mucli (o be desired, thai this species of Galium may be identified, as 

 there can be little doubt, that it is found also in some parts of the United States. — 

 €. U. S. 



