192 HOME DECORATIOX. 



oxalic acid and water, instead of the soda-bath, in finishing 

 them up. Immortelles and other flowers are bleached in 

 the same manner, except a bath of strong castile soap-suds 

 is employed, instead of soda or acid. 



In bleaching green grasses, the soda-bath should be 

 used until they are nearly white, for if they are placed in 

 oxalic acid water before the greenness disappears, they 

 will turn red quickly when exposed to the sun. To re- 

 move the reddish or brown tinge, add Water of Ammonia 

 to the soda-bath. Chloride of lime is used .successfully 

 for bleaching, but on account of its disagreeable odor it is 

 objectionable. 



Grasses may be colored by the method used in dyeing 

 fabrics, but the recent aniline dyes are so much more 

 convenient and give so much more delicate and brilliant 

 colors, that they should be used in preference to all 

 others. They are put up for domestic dyeing, and may 

 be purchased in convenient quantities. 



All grasses should be thoroughly bleached before color- 

 ing. The delicate aniline dyes will not take in soft tints 

 in half-bleached materials, particularly, rose, scarlet, or- 

 ange, and yellow. Grasses should be thoroughly softened 

 in weak soda-water, before being placed in the coloring 

 vats. Some colors^ such as rose, scai-let, magenta, yellow, 

 and purple, take in a few minutes ; others, such as black, 

 brown, green, and blue, require much boiling before the 

 color will set. Grasses dyed in rose, scarlet, and yellow, 

 should be immediately removed from the bath when they 

 are sufficiently colored/for if allowed to remain in the dye 

 long, they become dark-colored and unclean in appear- 

 ance. Eose, yellow, and orange, are in powder form, and 

 quickly distribute in the water. The dark-red colors are 

 in small green crystals, purple is a tar-like gum, and 

 brown is a heavy powder which requires constant boiling 

 to be thoroughly dissolved. 



In coloring Bismarck-brown and . dark-green, grasses 



