Black Silk, Cotton, Lace Or Wool Goods

For 4 pounds of goods take 2 ounces of blue vitriol and 8 ounces of extract of logwood, or if preferred 3 pounds of logwood chips. Put each separately in 12 quarts of water. Put the vitriol water in a brass kettle if possible. Bring both kettles to the boiling point. Have the cloth thoroughly washed out in warm water; dip first in the vitriol water, then in the logwood water, and alternately from one to the other until it has been dipped in each three times. Dry, wash in strong suds, rinse in soft water twice that it may not "crock." Put a little salt in the last water. Wring out, roll up and leave an hour or so before pressing; press on the wrong side until perfectly dry. A small piece of copperas is good to add to the logwood water. This will not fade and answers for all materials but best for woollen goods.

Brown Cotton, Woolen Or Silk

Wash the goods first in strong soap-snds, rinse well, then follow directions. For 5 pounds of cloth or yarn take 1 pound of gum catechu, 3 ounces of blue vitriol, and 4 ounces of bi-chromate of potash. Dissolve catechu and blue vitriol in sufficient soft water, to cover the goods, bring to a scalding heat. Wring the goods out of clear hot water, shake out, put in the catechu and vitriol bath. Let them remain three hours, stirring and airing quite often. Dissolve the bi-chromate of potash in enough warm water to cover the goods; lift from the catechu dye and put in the potash dye, scald until the desired color. Put them in all at once, but do not crowd them. Stir frequently, fifteen minutes is usually enough. Rinse in clear, warm water; dry in the shade; use brass, copper or porcelain kettles, but not iron.

Blue For Cotton

A lasting and beautiful color. Dissolve 5 ounces of copperas in water sufficient to cover the goods. When it reaches scalding point put the goods in and scald one-half hour; take out and air; put clean water in the kettle, enough to cover the goods, together with 6 ounces of prussiate of potash. Put in the goods thirty minutes. Remove and add to the kettle 2 ounces of oil of vitriol, return the goods and let remain twenty minutes or longer if the color is to be dark. This will color 5 pounds of cloth.

Green For Cotton

First color the goods blue, then take 4 ounces sugar of lead and 2 ounces bi-chromate of potash and dissolve each separately in ½ pailful of water. Dip the goods from one to the other until the desired shade is obtained. This will color 5 pounds of goods. Or dye blue first and dip in the yellow dye.

Yellow For Cotton

For 5 pounds of goods dissolve | pound of sugar of lead in hot water. Dissolve ¼ pound of bi-chromate of potash. Dip in the lead dye, then in the potash until the desired shade is obtained.

Orange For Cotton

Dye the goods yellow and dip in a very strong boiling lime water. Wring out and dip in clear, hot rain water.

Madder Red

This is a good durable, but not brilliant, red. For 6 or 7 pounds of goods, 6 gallons of water, ½ pound of madder, 8 ounces of alum, 1 ounce of cream-tartar. Heat half the water scalding hot in a brass, copper or porcelain kettle and dissolve in it the alum and cream-tartar. When it boils put in the goods and boil two hours, then rinse. Empty the kettle, break the the madder small and add to the other three gallons of water. Put in the goods and keep scalding hot one hour, stirring pretty constantly; then increase the fire until they boil five minutes. Drain and rinse in clear water without wringing. Wash in suds and dry in the shade.