Appendix C 



Excerpt from David Ramsay, The history of South-Carolina. Charleston: 

 David Longworth, 1809, 2 vol. (vol. 2, pp. 249-252). 



*The art of dying ought to make a conspicuous figure among the arts of the Carolinians; 

 for nature has blessed them with a profusion of materials for that purpose. To encourage 

 their attention to this subject, the following facts are mentioned: captain Felder, near 

 Orangeburgh, procured a paste from the leaves of the sweet leaf, hopea tinctoria, and 

 those of the yellow indigo, a species of cassia, for which he obtained one guinea per 

 pound during the american revolutionary war. Unfortunately his process died with him. 



Doctor Bancroft, the ingenious author of experimental researches concerning the 

 philosophy of permanent colors, informed the writer of this history that his patent for 

 introducing into England several dye-stuffs gained for him 5000£. per annum for some 

 of the last years of his patent. In the course of his experiments, doctor Bancroft found 

 that some materials for dying could be procured in the greatest abundance from the 

 woods of America, which were of equal efficacy with others which commanded a high 

 price in England. This was particularly the case with the bark of the quercus tinctoria 

 or black oak, which is very common in Carolina. Of this he annually imported and sold 

 as much as gained him the above sum. 



It may be of service to some persons residing in the country to be informed that Caro- 

 lina aff'ords, among many other dye-stuffs, the following materials for dying the colors 

 to which they are respectively annexed: 



BLACK. 



Rhus toxicodendron, poison oak— the acrid juice of this small shrub imparts a durable 

 black without any addition. 



Gall-berry bush grows in profusion on the margin of our bays, creeks, and ponds; the 

 leaves and berries of it are employed by hatters for giving a black to hats, as also by 

 weavers for staining yarn. 



Lycopus europaeus, water hoarhound, or gypsywort—Xh& juice of this plant also gives a 

 fixed black dye. 



Actea spicuta, A«r6 Christopher, or baneberries— the juice of the berries boiled with alum 

 affords a fine black dye, or ink. 



Quercus Rubra, red oak, the capsules and bark of the oak afford a good fixture for 

 brown or black dyes. Copperas or alum is commonly used for the mordant, or setting 

 ingredients as they are vulgarly called. 



BLUES. 



Indigofera tinctoria, common indigo. 



Amorpha fruticosa, false indigo— these are well known dyes. 



Fraxinus excelsior, common ash tree — the inner bark is said to give a good blue color to 

 cloth. 

 Note. — Preparations of the cuprum, vitriolatum, or blue stone, are used in dying blues. 



YELLOW. 



Urtica dioica, common nettle— the. roots of this give a faint yellow to cotton. 

 Rhamnus frangula, black berry, bearing alder — the bark tinges a dull yellow. 



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