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indigo to the French firm, Sooiete Chimique des Usines du 

 Rhone, of Lyons. They are now manufacturing their synthetic 

 indigo in Lyons itself. Specifications of both these patents 

 could be obtained in the usual way through patent office agents 

 in Paris. 



Artificial indigo exported from Germany into France is 

 classed for duty with natural indigo. In the United States 

 for some time the artificial indigo was classed with other 

 colouring matters extracted from coal tar, as for instance, 

 alizarine, aniline; which pay a high custom duty ad valorem, 

 But on the representations of the German Government, this 

 was altered to meet German demands. Artificial indigo was 

 first launched on the French market under the name of 

 " Indigo pure, B.A.S F. (Badische Anilin end Soda Fabrik) " 

 and the pure product is still under the same name. But for 

 facility of manipulation, the product is sold in the form of a 

 paste containing 20 per cent of " Indigo tina," convenient for 

 transport and use. Goods dyed with artificial indigo are not 

 required to be declared as such. They are sold under the class 

 of goods " dyed with indigo. 1 ' They are consequently sold at 

 similar prices to goods dyed with natural indigo. Doubtless if 

 the public were aware that the goods they are purchasing are 

 dyed with the artificial dye, they would express a preference 

 for goods dyed with the natural product, which has shown its 

 worth by long experience. 



Relative merits of natural and artificial Indigo. — I have taken 

 the opinion of several leading merchants and dyers at Lyons 

 and at Marseilles, and give their views in as concise a form as 

 possible. Indigo not being used in the dying of silk, the 

 Lyons dyers are not specially interested in the question. But 

 Lyons dyers of cotton and woollen goods and Lyons dealers in 

 indigo have been consulted : — - 



(a) Synthetic indigo is easily sold, and is especially ap- 

 preciated by dyers when clear and pure tints are needed, as for 

 instance, in the printing of " Indiennes," natural indigo is 

 advantageously replaced by artificial indigo in all cases except 

 when carmines and sulphates of indigo are employed for ground 

 colour, in which case natural indigo is preferable because its 

 resin and impurities serve to cover the fibre of the cloth, and 

 give it a metallic sheen which cannot be procured with 

 artificial indigo. Beyond this the artificial dye is equal to the 

 natural dye, and there can be no doubt that the production of 

 the latter is seriously menaced. 



