2o6] DYE
- avx, or 7-00^ colour. It is a kin 1 of
brown, and the process for dyeing it is widely different from those just described ; the wool merely requir- ing a simple immersion in water, as already directed for biue. The materials employed consist of the green shell of the walnut, the root of the walnut-tree, the bark of al- der, santal or saunders-wood, su- mach, and soot. — The green wal- nut-shells are collected, when the nuts are thoroughly ripe ; they are pat into tubs or casks, which are afterwards filled with water, and are thus preserved till the succeed- ing year. Santal, or saunders-wood, is much inferior to walnut-shells ; be- cause, if used in too large a quan- tity, it stiffens, and consequently injures the wool. It is in general mixed with galls, sumach, and al- der-bark, without which its colour could not be extracted : and though it yields very little with alum and tartar, it is nevertheless used in large quantities, on account of the solidity of its colour, which is na- turally a yellow-reddish brown. The best of the different ingre- dients employed in dyeing fawn- colours, is the bark or rind of the walnut-tree. Its shades are un- commonly fine ; its colours solid ; and it renders the wool dyed in it flexible and soft. A cauldron half full of water is placed over the fire ; and as soon as it. grows warm, bark is added in proportion to the quan- tity of stuffs intended to be dyed, and the lightness or depth of the shades required. It is then boiled for about a quarter of an hour, when the cloths, being previously moistened with warm water, are immersed, frequently turned, and well stirred, liil they have suffici- ently imbibed the colour. They are aired, dried, and dressed in th«- usual manner. Nertt to the rind or bark, the root of the walnut-tree is the best dye for a fawn-colour : it also af- fords a variety of shades, similar to those produced by the bark, for which it is frequently substituted. The root, however, requires a dif- ferent process : A cauldron is filled about three parts full of river- water, into which the root is im- mersed, after being tied up in a bag. When the liquor is very hot, the wool or stuff is plunged into it, repeatedly turned, and occa- sionally aired The lighter stuffs are next to be dipped, till the co- lour is completely extracted . Dur- ing this operation, proper care should be taken to prevent the li- quor from boiling, as in such case the piece first immersed would im- bibe the whole of the colour. The process of dyeing with the bark of aide?-, is nearly the same as that pursued with walnut-roots t the boiling of it is at first not very material, as this drug very freely communicates its colour. It is chiefly used for worsteds, impart- ing shades darkened with copperas , and for wool that is not required to be very dark, as it equally with- stands the effeclsof the sun and rain. Sumach possesses nearly the same properties as the bark or rind of the walnut-tree ; its colour is not so deep, somewhat inclining to green, but is solid and permanent. Where dark colours are required, sumach is frequently substituted for nut- galls, in which case a greater pro- portion becomes necessary. — These different substances, however, are not unfrequently mingled together, and, as they arc of a similar nature, and differ only in degree, it is easy to obtain various shades. With
