QUERCITRON BARK. 215 



riety ; consisting also of short and long tubers, chiefly long, 

 and of a greenish-yellow colour. It is not common in the 

 markets. 



The colours produced by turmeric are various very beau- 

 tiful shades of yellow, but, like many others of our most 

 beautiful dyes, the colour is not so permanent as could be 

 desired. Besides its use in dyeing, turmeric forms a prin- 

 cipal ingredient in the favourite Indian condiment curry- 

 powder. The quantity imported from India and China in 

 1851 was about 2000 tons. 



Quercitron Bark. Quercus tinctoria. (Nat. Ord. 

 Corj/lacea.) 



The Quercitron Oak is a large tree, a native of North 

 America ; the timber is valuable for ship-building purposes, 

 and the bark is largely used for tanning leather, but in 

 this country it is used for dyeing yellow. Tor this purpose 

 the underbark is crushed, and resembles a mass of short 

 yellowish- white fibres, mixed with powdery particles; in 

 this state it is packed into very large hogsheads, and ex- 

 ported to Europe. Between 3000 and 4000 tons are con- 

 sumed annually in England. 



Elavine. — Under this name a new dye-stuff has lately 

 been imported from the United States. A sample of the 



