130 Experiments on Staining Wood . 
or less degree of digestion and boiling. The wood of 
the plane-tree was chosen for this purpose, because it 
can be easily sawn and polished; because it has a white 
colour; is neither too hard nor too soft; because it nei- 
ther contracts nor warps ; has beautiful w hite spots with 
veins that cross each other; and because artists who 
make inlaid work have long attempted to colour it by 
staining. The wood, when stained, can very easily be 
freed from the dragon’s blood adhering to it, by means of 
rectified spirit of wine. The spirit of turpentine makes 
the wood more compact, and renders it more susceptible 
of a fine polish. 
II. Gamboge, dissolved in spirit of turpentine, gave to 
the whole surface of a small piece of w ood a most beauti- 
ful shining golden yellow colour. The fibres and veins, 
on the other hand, had assumed a colour inclining a little 
to red. A piece of the wood of the pear tree assumed a 
darker colour, somewhat approaching to green, and which 
in part w r as nearly an olive colour. Different colours 
may therefore be obtained by employing different kinds 
of wood. 
III. One part of dragon’s blood, two parts of gamboge, 
with spirit of turpentine, gave to the wood of the plane 
tree or beech, according to the mixture of the colours 
and the nature of the wood, a remarkable variation of 
dyes. A bit of beech wood seemed always to assume a 
blackish yellow colour; and was thoroughly stained, 
when moderate heat was kept up for a sufficient length of 
time. 
IV. Distilled verdigris (crystallized acetiteof copper) 
could not easily be used in the above manner, as its 
colour is too much changed by oil and fire, as is known 
to those who employ it as a pigment. The olive co- 
lour also does not penetrate to the interior part of the 
wood. 
