PRACTICAL DYER, 
 
 CONTAINING A COLLECTION OP 
 
 CHOICE RECEIPTS 
 
 FOR PRODUCING 
 
 ALL THE MOST COMMON AND PERMANENT 
 
 COLOURS 
 
 ON COTTON, WOOLEN, SILK AND LINEN; 
 
 ADAPTED TO THE 
 
 USE OF FAMILIES. &c. 
 
 TOGETHER WITH DIRECTIONS FOR SCOURING, 
 
 CLEANING WOOLLEN AND OTHER CLOTHS OF SPOTS OF GREASE, 
 STAINS, &C. 
 
 BY THOMAS JONES. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 PRINTED FOR THE PUBLISHER. 
 
 1830 . 
 
 COPT-RIGHT SECURED. 
 
PREFACE*. 
 
 In offering a work on this subject, the publisher indulges 
 the hope, that he shall confer & favor on the public. 
 
 The design of this treatise is to furnish families with an 
 easy and uniform system of dying, in such a form as to 
 make it accessible to every individual. That such a work 
 is much needed, and may prove eminently useful to the 
 public, there exists not the least doubt. Indeed, it is not 
 unfrequent that families attempt to colour, without even a 
 system, or guide of experience, and consequently labor 
 under many embarrassments, and often incur useless ex¬ 
 pense, by failing to produce the colour they desired, and 
 thereby rendering the goods unfit for the purpose for which 
 they were designed. This loss may be sustained by vari¬ 
 ous causes ; either by a use of too little dye stuff, or a use 
 of too much; or by a want of a due proportion of the ingre¬ 
 dients, or of a knowledge in handling the goods; the evils 
 of which, by the aid of this work, may be totally avoided, 
 and the colour desired obtained with certainty and ease. 
 But very little information on this subject, of any import¬ 
 ance, has ever been communicated to the world. Whereas 
 by means of this publication, the public are furnished with a 
 mass of knowledge which has hitherto been sought for 
 through expensive volumes and long experience. 
 
 T. JONES. 
 
 New York, August, 1830 
 
Receipt for Indigo Blue, the best to dye yarn or wool. 
 
 To set a tub of 6 gallons, take five gallons of old sig, to 
 which add 2 gills of spirits, half a pound of good indigo, 
 made fine ; put it in a bag, wet it, and rub it out in the dye, 
 then add 2 ounces ofpearlash and 2 ounces of good madder ; 
 stir and mix it all together ; let it stand 24 hours ; then add 
 half a pint of wheat bran, stir it up till well mixed together ; 
 let it stand 24 hours longer, and if your dye does not come 
 to work by this time, stir it as often as once in two or three 
 hours, but do not apply your goods before a copper scum 
 and froth rises, and the dye looks greenish when dropping, 
 and your yarn or wool looks greenish when applied to 
 the dye, which are symptoms that your dye is in good or¬ 
 der for use ; but you must be cautious not to crowd your 
 dye too full, for many blue dyes are destroyed in this way. 
 
 Be careful also about reducing your dye^ too low; always 
 keep indigo in the bag, rubing it out when necessary ; and 
 you need not stop your dye to recruit it after it has come to 
 work ; but make your additions when you take your goods 
 out, as you find, it necessary. Wring out the goods, stir 
 your dye well together, cover it close, and place it where 
 it will keep lukewarm. By this process a superior blue is 
 p roduced. It is commonly from two to three days in col¬ 
 oring for a deep blue. 
 
6 
 
 When the dye becomes thick and glutinous, the whole 
 should be boiled and the scum taken off. 
 
 Observing these directions, your dye will last many years. 
 
 N. B. The yarn or wool should be wet in warm sig, be¬ 
 fore it is put into the dye, and the tub covered close, &c. 
 
 ANOTHER METHOD FOR BLUE. 
 
 Take half a pail full of good ashes, two quarts of stone 
 lime, and as much sig as to run through three gallons of 
 liquor; add two ounces of good indigo made fine, four 
 ounces of good madder, and half a pint of wheat bran ; stir 
 and mix it well together, let it stand two days, then stir it up 
 and put in half a pint of good yeast; let it stand 24 
 hours, and your dye will be fit for use. 
 
 PRUSSIAN BLUE. 
 
 Compound, or Chimeck. This compound or blueing is 
 made thus : 
 
 Take three ounces of good indigo, pound it so small as 
 to run it through a fine sieve. Put your indigo thus pre¬ 
 pared into a small vessel, gradually add one pound of the 
 oil of vitriol, stirring it for one hour. It may then stand 
 for a day, excepting two or three times in the period it 
 should be worked in the same manner, by stirring it. After 
 .this process it is fit for use. 
 
 In this state, the compound may be preserved for a year, 
 being put into a glass bottle and confined with a stopper of 
 beeswax. 
 
7 
 
 It is the better way to prepare a number of pounds of the 
 oil, with their proportions of indigo; observing to shake 
 or stir the ingredients well together when you wish to pour 
 off for use. 
 
 This compound is used for dying Prussian blue, green, 
 and many other colours. 
 
 GRASS GREEN. 
 
 To ten pounds of woollen, take one and a half pounds of 
 alum or until your dye is sour, then run your goods f of an 
 hour ; then take out the goods and add 5 pounds of fustic, 
 boil one hour, then run the goods half an hour, boil again, 
 and run until you have a bright yellow ; if not bright enough, 
 add 3 or 4 ounces of alum, run again and air well, then add 
 compound little by little when the Cloth is out of the dye; 
 then dip and air with repeated additions of compound till 
 your color suits. 
 
 Prescription for reducing the dye to a quantity which 
 may be required to colour a pound of woollen stuff. 
 
 GREEN. 
 
 Twelve ounces of fustic, three of alum, and three gallons 
 of water ; then add, in very small quantities, of the com¬ 
 pound of oil and indigo till the color rises to your wish. 
 
 Dyes which are reduced, must be managed according to 
 -the directions given on a larger scale. 
 
 From the foregoing receipts, you find that a small quan¬ 
 tity of dye requires a larger proportion of dye-stuff. 
 
For a tolerably full Saxon Green, use four ounces of fus¬ 
 tic, and one ounce of solution of indigo to the pound. You 
 may put your allum, fustic and indigo, all at once into the 
 liquor, and boil your wollen in it for two hours or two 
 hours and a half. This method has perfectly succeeded. 
 The cloth should be well washed after the operation. 
 
 FOR SAXON BLUE. 
 
 By one simple process, this color is obtained. All the 
 utensils must be perfectly clean ; the water in the kettle be 
 made to boil. Then put in a small quantity of the com¬ 
 pound made of oil of vitriol and indigo ; after this let it be 
 for a few minutes ; the goods being well wet with warm 
 water, is then to be dipped for twenty minutes, then take it 
 up to cool. Follow this process of dipping and cooling 
 
 until you obtain the colour you desire. 
 
 N. B. The goods should be moved briskly in the dye 
 
 and kept open. 
 
 ENGLISH PROCESS FOR YELLOW. 
 
 Preparation .—Three ounces of alum, and one ounce of 
 tartar, ground fine, per pound of wollen. Boil for a couple 
 of hours ; drain, cool and rince the cloth ; then dye in a 
 bath made of fustic, or yellow oak bark ; if you use fustic 
 take something more than weight for weight of the wool; 
 if bark, take one third the weight, or from that to one half. 
 Mixed with fustic, yellow oak bark greatly improves the 
 colour. 
 
FOR MADDER RED. 
 
 For one pound "of goods, take four ounces of alum, one 
 ounce of red tartar, and half a pound of wheat hran, having 
 the flour well sifted out. Let these boil in the copper till 
 the alum and tartar be dissolved. Then dif the goods for 
 half an hour ; take it up to cool, then dip three hours. In 
 this dipping for the greater part of the time, the goods may 
 be in the liquor ; being careful however, to keep it under 
 the surface of the dye, that it may equally receive the salts. 
 
 For the next process empty and fill your copper again. 
 When the water has acquired the warmth that you can just 
 endure your hand it, for every pound of goods, put in 
 half a pound of the best madder. Be careful to mix it well 
 in the copper, before you introduce your cloth. Then dip 
 for an hour. Observe, at the same time, that the dye must 
 not have more than half the heat that would be necessary 
 to boil it. If the dye be too hot, it will tarnish the colour. 
 Having dipped for one hour, take up the goods for cooling. 
 Then dip, short dips two or three times, that the colour may 
 be equal, and the strength of the madder received. 
 
 N. B. It is a good method to soak the madder, several 
 hours in sour beer or sour bran water, before it is employed 
 in the dye. 
 
 Madder-red is a beautiful and permanent colour. 
 
 For red with Nicaragua, your kettle being clean, and 
 filled with fair water. For each pound of goods, five ounces 
 <oi alum,bring near to boil, run your goods an hour and a 
 
 
 
10 
 
 half, airing once or twice in the time. A little wheat bran 
 would he of use if you have it. Having*dipped your goods 
 a suitable time, take them out, and let them lie in a heap 
 24 or 36 hours. Then set a new die of twelve ounces of 
 nicaragua to abound of woollen; let it simmer over night, 
 then dip your goods, now and then tucking them down in 
 the dye to lie a spell; handle in this way till your colour 
 pleases. A little madder would improve the dye. 
 
 ANOTHER METHOD FOR RED. 
 
 To each pound of woollen, take 12 ounces of redwood or 
 nicaragua chips, and boil moderately in clean water one 
 hour ; then add one ounce of alum—sun your goods half 
 an hour; then air and let the dye steep as before, and dip 
 again, adding a little alum each time; and manage in this 
 way till your colour suits your fancy. Redwood and nica¬ 
 ragua may be mixed together, or used separately, at the dis¬ 
 cretion of the dyer. 
 
 FOR BLACK. 
 
 For one pound of woollen, take 3 ounces of copperas- 
 heat near boiling—dip your goods twenty minutes—then 
 air and dip again three quarters of an hour—air and rince, 
 and shift the liquor—rince your kettle clean, and fill with 
 water, and add half a pound of logwood chips—boil well— 
 rince your goods 30 minutes—let it boil again 15 or 20 min¬ 
 utes—then dip again three quarters of an hour—then add 
 half an ounce of blue vitriol—sun your goods—boil them 
 
half an hour—then if not black enough, add a little more? 
 and dip again, and handle till your colour pleases. 
 
 another method for black. 
 
 Your kettle being filled with pure water, and brought to 
 boil, for a pound of woolen putin one ounce and a half of 
 blue vitriol—have your cloth well wet-*dip it 30 minutes— 
 a j r —run again one hour—then add in the same liquor, half a 
 pound of logwood—boil—dip your goods and air, and han¬ 
 dle till your colour pleases. 
 
 A little camwood (if you have it) toward the last would 
 improve the colour. It will not be so bad to scour as if 
 dyed with copperas. 
 
 FOR NAVY BLUE. 
 
 To produce this colour, the copper or cauldron must be 
 cleansed, and then filled with clean water. For a pound of 
 woollen, put into the kettle two ounces of green copperas— 
 let the water boil, and take off the scum that rises. This 
 being done, your cloth being wet in warm water, is to be 
 dipped in the dye for 20 minutes; then cool it—after this, 
 dip again for an hour and a half-then cool and rince your 
 
 cloth. 
 
 Now empty and fill again with clean water ; add six oun¬ 
 ces of good logwood, boil well, and dip your goods half an 
 hour ; then cool, following this process till the colour de¬ 
 signed is obtained. This is a very dark blue. 
 
 Woolen yarn, for coverlets, stockings, &c. may be col¬ 
 oured in this way to advantage. 
 
 Thin clothes are beautifully coloured in this way. 
 
Riceipt for light and dark Cinnamon, London Browns 
 and British Muds. 
 
 All these are obtained from the same dye. For a pound 
 of woollen. When the copper is filled with pure water, and 
 brought to boil, the dyer must put in one quarter of a pound 
 of camwood—let it boil in the copper 15 minutes; then 
 dip your cloth for one hour. Keep it open and stirring in 
 the dye—then take up the cloth for cooling. Add as before, 
 the same quantity of camwood, and dip your cloth two 
 hours. Then the light cinnamon is obtained. 
 
 For the next process, add to your dye two tea-spoons full 
 of blue vitriol, one of oil of vitriol, and one of good coppe- 
 
 ras _let them simmer well in the copper. Take off the 
 
 scum or filth that rises on the dye—stir it well—then dip 
 the cloth that is coloured light cinnamon. 
 
 Follow this for an hour, moving it briskly, that the 
 colour maybe even: by this the dark cinnamon is obtained. 
 
 From the dark cinnamon, the dyer will obtain a London- 
 brown, by adding copperas to his dye and dipping his cloth, 
 from time to time, til it acquires the shade he chooses. 
 
 British mud is still darker, being almost a black. After 
 the London-brown is obtained, add the liquor of logwood to 
 the same dye, united with a little copperas ; then dip yofir 
 London-brown from time o time, till you obtain the shade 
 designed. 
 
 Those various colours, obtained by conforming to the fore¬ 
 going prescriptions, are strong and good. Those of them 
 
13 
 
 that are dark, will neither fade nor spot. The strongest 
 acids will not move them. 
 
 N. B.—In these colours, excepting the light cinnamon, 
 the oil of vitriol must never be neglected. By this ingredi¬ 
 ent the colours are rendered bright and clear. 
 
 Observe in general, that you put in the oil of vitriol, until 
 the ground of the colour is laid in the cloth; for if the dyer 
 add ever so much camwood after the oil is in, it will be en¬ 
 tirely lost. 
 
 SNUFF BROWN. 
 
 To each pound of wool, prepare with an ounce of green 
 copperas, half an ounce of alum, and half an ounce of tartar 
 in the usual way—rince moderately. Dye with two ounces 
 madder, one ounce redwood, four ounces fustic, and two 
 ounces sumach per pound, with the liquor near to boil.— 
 Take out the goods, drain and wash them. A little more al¬ 
 um will brighten, and a little more copperas darken the 
 colour. 
 
 Common English Process for Fast Purple. 
 
 Alum, four ounces—tartar, two ounces, as the prepara¬ 
 tion' for a pound of wool—boil for an hour and a half— 
 drain, cool and rince the cloth; then enter it into a finish¬ 
 ing or dye liquor of madder three-fourths of a pound, red¬ 
 wood two ounces for each pound of wool. Do not let the 
 liquor come near to boil. Dip yoor goods for an hour.— 
 Then drain, cool and rince them, and give them a single 
 dip in the blue vat. 
 
 2 
 
14 
 
 COMMON ENGLISH PURPLE. 
 
 For each pound of woollen, use a preparation of two 
 ounces of alum, one ounce of tartar, and one-eighth of an 
 ounce blue copperas; boil for two hours; then drain and 
 rince the goods, and dye it in a bath of six 'ounces of log¬ 
 wood to the pound of wollen. This is reddened by alum 
 and blued by blue copperas. 
 
 CLARET. 
 
 Add to the above dye liquor, half an ounce of madder 
 and one fourth of an ounce of cam wood, or red wood, per 
 pound of cloth. 
 
 OF YELLOW WITH BLACKS, OLIVE AND 
 DRABS. DARK OLIVE. 
 
 For one pound of woollen, one ounce of green copperas, 
 the eighth of an ounce of blue copperas, two ounces of 
 alum ; boil for two hours, rince moderately; then enter the 
 goods into a dye bath of six ounoes of fustic, four ounces of 
 logwood, and two ounces of sumach ; boil for an hour. 
 
 LIGHT OLIVE. 
 
 For one pound of wollen, one ounce and a half of alum, 
 half an ounce of green copperas, the eighth of an ounce of 
 blue copperas ; dye with six ounces fustic, and same of 
 logwood and an ounce of sumach. 
 
 GREENISH OLIVE. 
 
 For a pound of woollen, one ounce of green copperas, 
 
15 
 
 two ounces of alum, half an ounce of blue copperas. The 
 dye drugs as in dark olive. 
 
 BOTTLE GREEN. 
 
 Increase the proportion of green and blue copperas and 
 of logwood, each about one eighth. Or dye first in walnut 
 peel, then in Saxon blue. 
 
 DRAB. 
 
 For a pound of woollen, take two ounces of alum, one 
 ounce of green copperas, dye with eight ounces of fustic, 
 and two of sumach. The colour will be saddened by in¬ 
 creasing the proportion of copperas and sumach, and di¬ 
 minishing the alum. 
 
 DARK DRAB BROWN. 
 
 For one pound of woollen, put into the kettle two quarts 
 of hemlock bark, and one quart of yellow oak bark, or 
 walnut bark ; boil them till the strength of the bark is ex¬ 
 hausted, and then take the bark out. Dip and cool two or 
 three times as in laying the ground work of other dyes; 
 then raise the colour with copperas, dipping and cooling 
 until it becomes as dark as you desire. 
 
 WINE COLOUR. 
 
 For a pound of woollen, take half a pound of camwood, 
 one fourth of a pound of fustic, and one eighth of a pound 
 of logwood, run your goods till the strength of the dye is 
 exhausted. If not dark enough, sadden with copperas. 
 
16 
 
 FOR SCARLET. 
 
 For a pound of woollen, take three gallons of water 
 bring it to boil, then add from one third to half an ounce of 
 cream tarter, and the same quantity of cochineal; boil 
 fifteen minutes, ‘then dip your goods until the colour rises to 
 
 your wish. 
 
 THE BEST PROCESS FOR CLEANSING WOOL. 
 
 With two pailsfull of water, put one of Sig ; to which add 
 half a pint of soap, half a pint of salt and a table spoonful of 
 pearlash; bring this to a degree of heat as high as flesh 
 can bear ; immerse your \Vool, taking care that it be not too 
 closely crowded in the liquor ; after moving it around for 
 fifteen minutes, it may be taken out and rinced. This will 
 effectually remove all dirt and greace, and render the wool 
 
 soft and light. 
 
 FOR COTTON AND LINEN. 
 
 To dye thread or other goods Purple , Olive Brown, and 
 
 Black. 
 
 Purple—For one pound of thread, boil five ounces of 
 logwood, in an iron vessel, for three or four hours. After 
 boiling, add two ounces of alum to the liquor ; after it is 
 dissolved put in the thread; let it simmer two or three hours, 
 then take up and scour it in a weak suds. 
 
 OLIVE BROWN. 
 
 For one pound of thread, put into a kettle, with two gal- 
 
 f 
 
17 
 
 Ions of water, half a pound of fustic well chipped ; boil 
 it three or four hours, then put in half an ounce of blue 
 vitriol and one ounce of copperas ; let them dissolve, then 
 introduce the thread ; let it simmer one hour, then take up. 
 
 If it be not dark enough, add a little copperas to the dye, 
 and dip again. 
 
 After it is colored and rinced, boil the thread in water, 
 with a handful of wheat bran to render it soft and pliable. 
 
 BLACK. 
 
 For one pound of thread, put four quarts of yellow oak 
 bark into two or three gallons of water ; boil it three or four 
 hours, then take out the bark, and add to the liquor three 
 ounces of copperas ; after it is dissolved put in the thread ; 
 let it simmer two hours : then take up and rince it ; then dip 
 in a liquor, made from half a pound of logwood, till you • 
 obtain a black. 
 
 FOR BLUE ON COTTON AND LINEN WITH LOG¬ 
 WOOD. 
 
 For every pound of yarn put into a kettle of water two 
 ounces of blue vitriol; let it dissolve ; then spread in the 
 skeins of yarn; let them boil for two hours ; then take out 
 and rince. Make a liquor of logwood. For every pound of 
 yam, employ four ounces of logwood well chipped and 
 boiled in a kettle by itself; then turn it into the kettle 
 where the yarn is to be colored, after taking out all the 
 chips. The yarn may boil in this liquor and be dipped half 
 
18 
 
 an hour. This process of dipping may be repeated two or 
 three times, till the color rises to your fancy. Then take up, 
 rince and scour it in a weak suds to prevent its being brittle. 
 
 This dye produces a bright blue, but it is not so durable 
 as that dyed by the indigo process, which is too expensive 
 and tedious for family use. 
 
 N. B. For every pound of yarn make two gallons of li¬ 
 quor. 
 
 RED ON COTTON AND LINEN. 
 
 For one pound put four ounces of alum to two gallons of 
 water, with a handful of wheat bran ; after the alum has 
 dissolved, lay in the thread loosely, that the color may take 
 equally. Let the dye simmer over the fire for eight or ten 
 hours. Now take up the thread, gently press it with the 
 hands, and hang it in the shade to dry. Make a new liquor, 
 the same quantity of water with one pound of the best mad¬ 
 der. When the dye is scalding hot, put in the thread, pre¬ 
 serve the same degree of heat ; with a stick, frequently stir 
 the goods that they may be equally colored. Perhaps it 
 will take a day to obtain the color, but the time will be in 
 proportion to the shade desired. 
 
 P. S. You may put four ounces ofnutgalls well pulveris¬ 
 ed, to the madder. Then by dipping the thread in a yellow 
 dye, either before or after it has received the madder, will 
 give you the orange. 
 
 When the thread is colored, rince it thoroughly, then scald 
 
19 
 
 it in water with a quart of wheat bran ; rince again and dry 
 in the shade which is necessary for all colors on thread. 
 
 N. B. The dyer should make it a standing rule to hare 
 all his thread of flax or cotton, well cleansed previous to 
 dying. 
 
 GREEN ON COTTON AND LINEN—COOL. 
 
 To set a dye, take two pounds of logwood, and one pound 
 of fustic chips, boil well, then add a quarter of a pound of 
 alum, and run your goods one hour ; then add a quarter of a 
 pound of blue vitriol ; run your goods thirty minutes; then 
 add two ounces of pearlash ; run again and handle till your 
 color pleases. 
 
 YELLOW ON COTTON AND LINEN. 
 
 Take two pounds of the leaves or peelings of onions that 
 are clean and clear from dirt; put them in fair water, boil 
 well, then add half a pound of alum ; run your goods one 
 hour, and you will have a good colour. 
 
 BLACK ON SILK. 
 
 For one pound of silk, take four quarts of yellow oak 
 bark; boil it well for three hours. 
 
 There should be two gallons of liquor after the dye is 
 strained ; to this deocction, add two ounces of nutgalls well 
 pounded, and four of copperas. Let them boil half an hour; 
 then check, with a pint of cold water. Put in the silk, and 
 keep the dye about one degree'below boiling heat; stir the 
 
silk in the dye, for four or five hours ; then take up, cool, 
 rince and dry in the shade. 
 
 For the next process, make a decoction of a pound of 
 loo-wood, and dip the silk until it receives the colour you 
 
 0 Sr 
 
 desire. 
 
 Now rince, wring but moderately, dry in the shade. Of 
 whatever color, silks should never be dried in the sun. Af¬ 
 ter all these, dip once more, in a solution of loaf sugar, 
 with two quarts of water, brought half way to boiling heat; 
 then dry, and the silk will present you a shining jet black, 
 whose color is durable. 
 
 . • 
 
 CINNAMON. 
 
 For one pound of silk, boil half a pound of camwood that 
 is ground, with two gallons of water, for fifteen minutes, 
 in a brass or pewter vessel—then dip, and carefully attend, 
 that the silk may equally receive the colour. Continue till 
 you obtain the colour desired. After the cinnamon is ob¬ 
 tained, you may produce a number of shades, by adding 
 copperas in small quantities, and dipping a number of times. 
 
 SAXON BLUE. 
 
 For one pound of silk, to eight quarts of boiling water, 
 add half a table-spoonful of the compound of oil and indigo. 
 Stir them well—dip the silk and keep it moving for a few 
 minutes—take up, and if not dark enough, add a little more 
 of the compound, and thus proceed till the colour rises to 
 your design. 
 
21 
 
 GREEN. 
 
 To two gallons of boiling water, add two ounces of pul¬ 
 verized termerech—boil a few minutes—then add four oun¬ 
 ces of alum: after it is dissolved, add half a table-spoonful 
 of the compound, oil and indigo. Mix all well together— 
 then dip for fifteen minutes—take up and cool, and so pro¬ 
 ceed till the colour is obtained. If it need more yellow, 
 add termerech—if more blue, increase the proportion of 
 compound. 
 
 OLIVE BROWN. 
 
 Boil fustic, yellow oak or walnut bark: after the liquor 
 has received the strength of the dye-stuff, strain it. Bring 
 to boil—then dip the silk from time to time, adding a little 
 blue and copperas. For a light colour, give short dips. 
 A variety of shades may be obtained in this dye. 
 
 YELLOW. 
 
 For one pound of silk, put four ounces of alum to eight 
 quarts of water. Let them almost boil—then carefully dip 
 for one hour. Take up and rinse it clean. Theii dip in a 
 liquor of termerech. The quantity of dye-stuff will be in 
 proportion to the shade required. 
 
 NAVY BLUE. 
 
 First, dip an hour, one pound of silk in a solution of four 
 ounces of copperas, to two gallons of water. While dip¬ 
 ping, have the liquor hot. Then rinse and dip in a decoc¬ 
 tion of logwood until the colour is obtained. 
 
22 
 
 To soften Water that is hard, or impregnated with 
 Minerals. 
 
 Enclose a pint of wheat bran in a linen bag tied close- 
 
 |y_put it into ten or twelve gallons of water—let it boil, 
 
 and take off the scum that rises. Any water that is clean, 
 may, by this method, be made sufficiently soft for colouring, 
 or to wash linen cloth. 
 
 The hard, or rough water, that some wells produce, may 
 be rendered soft by observing this prescription. 
 
 Directions for cleansing Woollens and other Cloths of 
 spots of grease, tar, pitch, varnish, oil, paint, stains, fyc. 
 
 First then, all the essential oils have the property of dis¬ 
 solving oily and fatty matters. 
 
 Oil of oranges, lemons, bergamot, and rosemary, take 
 out greasy stains; but the oil of lavender is the proper sub¬ 
 stance for this purpose. 
 
 The true oil of lavender possesses the quality of extract¬ 
 ing grease without the aid of oil of turpentine, which how¬ 
 ever has the same property, but with rather an unpleasant 
 smell. 
 
 Ox-gall is usually employed for this purpose ; or where 
 the cloth will bear it, caustic alkali, which forms a soap with 
 the grease ; the cloth can then be washed. 
 
 When oil of turpentine is made use of for the purpose of 
 detaching grease spots, you dip a piece of sponge or cotton 
 into the oil of turpentine, and rub the spot till it disappears. 
 But it is expedient to cover the spot so rubbed, with some 
 
23 
 
 kind of powder, as pounce or ground plaster, or pipe-clay, 
 otherwise there would remain a border with the oil of tur¬ 
 pentine, which does not always take place with the oil of 
 lavender. 
 
 Warm oil of turpentine is the proper application for re¬ 
 moving spots ef pitch, tar, varnish, oil, paint, coom of car¬ 
 riage wheels, &c. 
 
 For white garments, use ground plaster; for colours 
 use some fat earth, pipe clay or ashes, 
 
 To scour a cloth coat, you must begin by beating it well 
 with a small stick to get out all the dust. Then the spots 
 will appear more plainly. Then mark all the spots with 
 soapi not missing one. Then mix ox gall with water, where¬ 
 with brush over the whole coat, so as to moisten it in the 
 direction of the nap. When thus moistened stretch the 
 cloth back and forward to get out all the creases, and dry it 
 on a half hoop. When dry it should have the lustre of new 
 cloth ; give it a brushing to soften it, and that is all it will 
 need. Laces and lawns spotted with ink, can be cleaned by 
 means of fresh green sorrel. The sorrel stains them green; 
 but this colour quickly washes out. Spots caused by fruit 
 upon white cloth are removed thus : put a silver or pewter 
 plate over a tea-pot, so that it can be heated by the steam.— 
 lay the spot on the hot metal, and moisten it with lemon 
 juice. 
 
 Spots of ink, or any other stains occasioned by yellow 
 oxyd of iron (iron rust) may be removed by salt of sorrel, 
 or lemon juice. 
 
 
24 
 
 Whether an acid be proper or not, depends on the nature 
 of the colour. 
 
 Greasy substances are removed by alkalies, by yolk of 
 eggs, or by fat earths; that is, pipe-clay, fullers’-earth, 
 loams or earths containing much clay, which greedily ab¬ 
 sorbs moisture of any kind, when the clay is dry. 
 
 Leather gloves and garments are cleaned by washing in 
 a lye of potash weak but warm: then in two separate soap 
 suds, and dried upon the last without rinsing. The last 
 must be weak. They must be dried speedily, turning and 
 stretching them in,all directions.