, C 5*3 



the leaves In ©ur fpecirnens, and in thofe collected by 

 a gentleman who favored me with the fight of 

 the plant, are far more pointed, than in the engraved 

 figure. The fcalks have constantly but one flower. 



The dyed porcupine-quills fent along with the 

 roots from Hudfon's-bay, are of the brighter! red and 

 •yellow: and this circum fiance fuggeffed to me the 

 thoughts of trying whether thefe roots might not 

 be ufefully employed in dying. I mentioned it to 

 you, and was encouraged to make fuch a trial, as 

 the fmall quantity of the roots would permit. 



I boiled a piece of flannel in a folution of half 

 fait of tartar and half alum : the wet flannel was 

 hereupon put into the decoction of the threeleaved 

 Hellebore-roots, and boiled in it for the fpace of 

 about 1 2 or 15 minutes ; the flannel, when- extradtedj 

 was dyed with a bright and lading yellow dye. A 

 white porcupine quill, boiled in the fame decoction^ 

 became nearly of as bright a ^.yellow, as thofe fent 

 over from Hudfon's-bay. This experiment made 

 me believe, that I had hit upon the right method 

 of dying with the threeleaved Hellebore j and will, 

 I hope, prompt the directors of the Hudfon's-bay 

 Company to order larger quantities of this root front 

 their fettlements, -as it will no doubt become an 

 ufeful article of commerce. 



The flannel, boiled in fait of tartar and alum as 

 above-mentioned, was likewife irumerfed and boiled 

 for nearly the fame fpace of time as in the former' 

 experiment, in a decoction of the root of the Ga- 

 lium Tindtorium, but it would dye only a dull and 

 faint red. A porcupine quill boiled with it be- 

 came yellow, but By no means red. This opera- 

 tion 



