The Exact Determination of the Fastness of the more Common Indigenous 

 Byes of Bengal, and comparison with typical Synthetic Bye-stuffs. 



Part II — Byeing on Silk. 



By E. R. Watson, M.A. (Cantab.), B.Sc. (Lorid.). 



List of Natural Dyes examined. 



Turmeric or Huldi {Curcuma longa, Linn.). 



Safflower or Kusum (Carthamus tinctorius, Linn.). 



Sapan Wood or Bakam (Ccesalpinia Sappan, Linn.). 



Palas (Butea frondosa, Roxb.). 



Annatto, Orleans or Latkan (Bixa Orellana, Linn.). 



Manjista (Rnbia cordifolia, Linn.). 



Lac-dye. 



Kamala (Mallotus philippinensis , Muell.-Arg.). 



Singhar (Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis , Linn.). 



Jackwood, jak or kanthal {Artocarpus integrifolia, Linn. f.). 



Methods employed for dyeing with these materials. 



As in the case of cotton dyeing I have, in this investigation, also followed as 

 closely as possible the native methods of dyeing. My success has been greater than 

 in the former case ; for, with each of the materials examined, I have succeeded in 

 dyeing to a moderately full shade by at least one native method, and in consequence 

 I have had no occasion to resort to any European, as opposed to Indian, method. 

 It may be concluded that the native methods for dyeing silk are, on the whole, more 

 satisfactory than the native methods for dyeing cotton. I have, in each case, aimed 

 at obtaining as full a shade as possible, as such shades are the most useful for this 

 investigation. 



The silk used was a sample of cloth purchased from the Rajshahi Diamond 

 Jubilee Industrial School. I was told that the only treatment to which the silk had 

 been subjected was a boiling with sajimati (crude carbonate of soda). The cloth was 

 further cleansed by boiling for half an hour in soap solution, 2^1bs. of soap for every 

 10 lbs. of silk, and was then rinsed once or twice in cold water. 



Turmeric. — Processes essentially as described by Nagendra Nath Banerjee (Mono- 

 graph on Dyes and Dyeing in Bengal, Calcutta, 1896, p. 21 , §82 (i)). 



Mem. A.S.B. 29.7.08. 



