islands where it was successfully propagated. The trees, which attain a 

 merchantable size in 12 years, were shipped in the form of logs 3 to 12 feet 

 long. This cargo proved valuable not only for the good price it brought 

 but also because it could be taken on as ballast. 



According to William Partridge, writing in the 1840s, the best logwood 

 came from Campeachy, with lesser grades coming from Santo Domingo, 

 Honduras, and Jamaica, in that order. Jamaica was the distribution point 

 from which New England-based ships sailed for Atlantic ports all along 

 the east coast between Charleston and Boston, and then on to English 

 (and continental) ports. Privateers of the period were often spared the 

 efforts of logging by capturing Spanish vessels laden with this valuable 

 commodity. 



Logwood was sold by apothecaries and in general stores, as evidenced 

 by frequent advertisements in 18th-century newspapers which list logwood 

 among their various other wares. It was generally sold in the form of logs 

 that had to be rasped or broken down in some other manner before they 

 could be used. This process could have been carried on in mills, either 

 before or after purchase. Since buyers always feared adulteration, however, 

 logwood was frequently purchased in log form and then rasped or chipped 

 later by the consumer. One Pennsylvania newspaper advertisement of 

 1798 informed its readers that, among other items produced by inmates 

 of the Philadelphia prison, chipped logwood could be had on reasonable 

 terms. 



Dyeing with logwood was a comparatively simple matter. Only the 

 reddish heartwood was used, with the outer parts chopped away before 

 shipping. First the rasped or chipped wood was dampened with water 

 and allowed to "mature" or ferment slightly for a few days. This fermented 

 wood was then gathered in a sack and immersed in the dye kettle. After 

 being boiled for 20 minutes or more the bag containing logwood chips was 

 removed and the textile material was submerged in the clear coloring 

 liquid. Mordanting could take place either before, during, or after dyeing. 

 Logwood was used on cotton, silk, and wool, with the hues produced 

 depending on the particular mordants chosen. 



Logwood was most important in black and blue dyeing; although it 

 produces other colors, such as silvery grays and purples, they are extremely 

 fugitive in light. A good navy blue could be made when the textile had 

 been mordanted with potassium bichromate; however, although this com- 

 pound was known around 1800, it does not appear to have been used as 

 a mordant until much later in the 19th century. Instead, copperas, blue 

 vitriol, and verdigris were frequently utilized in dyeing navy blues that 

 contemporary dyers considered beautiful and which were definitely cheaper 

 than indigo blues. 



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