CHAPTER IX.

BROWN AND BLACK.

CATECHU. ALDER BARK. SUMACH. WALNUT. PEAT SOOT. LOGWOOD, AND OTHER DYES

_CATECHU._

Catechu, (Cutch) is an old Indian dye for cotton. It can be used for wool, and gives a fine rich brown. It is obtained from the wood of various species of Areca, Acacia, and Mimosa trees. Bombay Catechu is considered the best for dyeing purposes.

Catechu is soluble in boiling water. It is largely used by the cotton dyer for brown, olive, drab, grey, and black. The ordinary method of dyeing cutch brown on cotton is to steep the cotton in a hot solution of catechu, containing a small addition of copper sulphate, and leave it in the solution for several hours. To 7 or 8 gallons of water put 1 lb. catechu and boil till all is dissolved, then add 1 to 2 ozs. of sulphate of copper and stir. It is then put into a boiling chrome bath (3%) for ½ hour. For deep shades the dyeing and chroming operations are repeated. With alum mordanted cotton, the colour is a yellowish brown, with tin it becomes still yellower. With iron it is brownish or greenish grey. When catechu only is used, a darker shade of brown is got by adding to the catechu 6% of its weight of copper sulphate. When mordants are used, they may be applied before or after the chrome bath, the cotton being worked in their cold solution.

1). CATECHU BROWN FOR COTTON. (10 lbs.) Work the cotton at a boiling heat for 2 hours, or steep for several hours in a cool liquid, in 2 lbs. catechu. (To each 7 or 8 gallons of water put 1 lb. of catechu, and boil till all is dissolved, then add 2 oz. sulphate of copper and stir). Wring out and then work for ½ hour in a hot solution of chrome, 6 oz. Wash in hot water. If soap is added the colour is improved. Any depth of colour can be got by repeating the operations.

2). BROWN FOR COTTON. Soak cotton in warm water. Boil for ½ hour in a solution of catechu, in the proportion of 1 oz. of catechu to 5 oz. of cotton. Put it into a 3% solution of chrome for ½ hour and boil. Then repeat these two operations till the colour is obtained. Then boil in a bath of Fustic.

3). BROWN FOR COTTON. (100 lbs.) Boil 20 lbs. catechu in water: dissolve in the liquid 10 lbs. alum and let it settle: enter the yarn into the hot liquid and after working well take out and enter into a fresh bath of boiling water with 4 lbs. of chrome. Rinse and soften with oil and soap.

4). CREAM COLOUR FOR COTTON WITH CATECHU. (11 lbs). Boil out ¾ oz. of catechu in water, and dissolve 2 lbs. 3 oz. curd soap in the clear liquid. Enter the cotton at 190° F. and work for an hour.

5). CATECHU FAST BROWN. (50 lbs.) Steep yarn over-night in a decoction of 10 lbs. cutch. Lift & work in a hot solution of chrome, rinse & dry.

6). LIGHT FAST CATECHU BROWN FOR COTTON. (50 lbs.) Boil 20 lbs. catechu in one boiler and 5 lbs. chrome in another. Enter in the catechu bath first, work 20 minutes, and wring out: then through the chrome 10 minutes, and wring out. Through catechu again, then chrome. Repeat this till dark enough, finishing with catechu.

7). LIGHT CATECHU BROWN FOR COTTON. (20 lbs). 3 lbs. of catechu and 3 oz. copper sulphate, boil up, and put into a bath of warm water. Enter cotton and work for ½ hour; wring out. In another bath of hot water dissolve 8 oz. of chrome. Enter cotton when boiling, and work for ½ hour. Then wash.

8). CATECHU BLACK FOR COTTON. Work the cotton in a hot decoction of catechu, allowing it to steep in the bath till cold, then work it in a cold solution of iron. Wash, and dye in a cold or tepid bath of logwood, and finally pass through a solution of chrome.

9). CATECHU BROWN FOR WOOL. The wool is boiled for 1 to 1½ hours, with 10 to 20% catechu, then sadden with 2 to 4% of copper sulphate, ferrous sulphate, or chrome, at 80° to 100°C., in a separate bath for ½ hour.

10). CATECHU STONE DRAB. (10 lbs. cotton). Work the cotton for ¼ hour with 2 pints catechu (1 lb. catechu to 7 or 8 gallons water; boil and add 2 oz. copper sulphate) in hot water, lift and add 2 oz. copperas in solution. Work for ¼ hour and wash. Add 2 oz. logwood to a bath of warm water & work cotton in this for 10 minutes. Lift and add ½ oz. alum. Work 10 minutes; wring out and dry.

_ALDER BARK_

The bark and twigs of alder are used for dyeing brown and black. For 1 lb. wool use 1 lb. alder bark. Boil the wool with it for 2 hours, when it should be a dull reddish brown. Add ½ oz. copperas for every pound of wool for black.

_SUMACH_

Sumach is the ground up leaves and twigs of the _Rhus coriaria_ growing in Southern Europe. It dyes wool a yellow and a yellow brown, but it is chiefly used in cotton dyeing.

_WALNUT_

The green shells of the walnut fruit and the root are used for dyeing brown. The husks are collected when the fruit is ripe, put into a cask and covered with water. In this way they can be kept for a year or more; it is said the longer they are kept the better colour they give. Without a mordant the colour is quite fast, but if the wool is mordanted with alum a brighter and richer colour is got. When used they are boiled in water for ¼ hour, then the wool is entered and boiled till the colour is obtained. Long boiling is not good as it makes the wool harsh. It is much used as a "saddening" agent; that is for darkening other colours. William Morris says:--

"The best and most enduring blacks were done with this simple dye stuff, the goods being first dyed in the indigo or woad vat till they were a very dark blue, and then browned into black by means of the walnut root."

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"Of all the ingredients used for the brown dye, the walnut rind is the best. Its shades are finer, its colour is lasting, it softens the wool, renders it of a better quality, and easier to work. To make use of this rind, a copper is half filled, and when it begins to grow luke-warm, the rind is added in proportion to the quantities of stuffs to be dyed and the colour intended. The copper is then made to boil, and when it has boiled a quarter-of-an-hour, the stuffs which were before dipped in warm water, are put in. They are to be stirred and turned until they acquire the desired colour."--James Haigh, 1797.

_PEAT SOOT_ gives a good shade of brown to wool. Boil the wool for 1 to 2 hours with peat soot. Careful washing is required in several changes of water. It is used sometimes for producing a hazel colour, after the wool has been dyed with weld and madder.

_OAK BARK._ Mordant with alum and dye in a decoction of oak bark.

_ONION SKINS._ (Brown.) Mordant the wool with alum and a little cayenne pepper. Boil it up lightly and keep warm for 6 days. Drying 2 or 3 times in between makes the colour more durable. Dry. Boil a quantity of onion skins, and cool; then put in wool and boil lightly for half-an-hour to an hour; then keep warm for a while. Wring out and wash.

_MADDER for BROWN._ (For 2½ lbs. wool). Mordant with 2 oz. copperas and 2 oz. cream of tartar. Dye with madder.

_MADDER, ETC., for FRENCH BROWN._ (For 50 lbs. wool.) Mordant with 1½ lbs. chrome. Dye with 6 lbs. Fustic, 1 lb. madder, ½ lb. cudbear, 1 lb. Tartar. If not dark enough add 8 oz. logwood. Boil for ½ hour. Wash and dry.

_FOR BLACK THREAD._ (From an old Dutch book on Dyeing. 1583). "Take a quantity of broken or bruised galls and boil them in water in a small pot and when they have a little boiled, take out all the galls and put into the same pot so much Copperas as ye had of galles and put therewith a little gumme of Arabic and then give it again another boiling. So let it boil a little, and with the said dye ye shall colour therein your thread, then take it forth and ye shall see it a fair shining black."

_TAN SHADE._ (for 6¼ lbs. wool). Mordant with 3 oz. Chrome for 45 minutes and wash in cold water. Boil for ½ hour, in a bag, 5 oz. madder, 4 oz. Fustic, ½ oz. logwood. Enter the wool, raise to the boil, and boil for 45 minutes. By altering the proportions of madder & fustic various shades of brown can be got.

_A GOOD BLACK_ for cotton, (20 lbs.) to stand milling and scouring. Steep all night with 6 lbs. of Sumach, pass through lime liquor and sadden with copperas; repeat in each of the last 2 tubs, adding more lime and copperas to each. Pass through logwood and wash. Soften with a little oil and soda ash.

_A GOOD BLACK_ for cotton, (20 lbs.) In a tub of cold water add 5 lbs. sumach, give a few turns and let it steep in it all night; then in another tub of cold water add a few pails of lime water, wring out; in another tub add 2 lbs. dissolved copperas and a pailful of old Sumach liquor. Enter, give 6 turns, wring out. In lime tub put two pails more lime liquor. Scald 2 lbs. logwood, 1 lb. Fustic in water; enter cotton, give 10 turns, sadden with a little copperas in the same liquor. Soften with a little oil and soda ash.

_BLACK FOR LINEN AND COTTON._ The yarn is first of all scoured in the ordinary way, galled, alumed, and then turned through a bath of weld. It is then dyed in a decoction of logwood to which one fourth part of sulphate of copper must be added for one part of yarn. It is then washed. It is dyed in a bath made with one part of madder for two of yarn. The yarn is then turned through a bath of boiling soap water, washed and dried.

_DOESKIN BLACK._ (For 100 lbs. wool.) Camwood 8%. Boil for 50 minutes. Then add Chrome 3%, Alum 1%, Argol 1%. Boil for 50 minutes, take out of dye and allow to stand overnight. Dye in 45% logwood, 8% Fustic, 4% Sumac. Boil for 1½ hours, wash and dry. A fast permanent colour.

_GREEN BLACK FOR WOOL._ Mordant with 2% Chrome and 25% Sulphuric acid. Boil 1½ hours; and leave over-night. Dye with 40% logwood, and 10% Fustic. Boil 1 hour. Wash.

_BROWNISH BLACK FOR WOOL._ (For 1 lb.) Mordant with 3 per cent. Chrome. Dye with 2 oz. Fustic, 2 oz. logwood, 1 oz. madder, and 1 oz. copperas.

_BROWN FOR WOOL._ Mordant 2½ hours with alum; dye with pine needles (larch) collected in Autumn when they drop.

"_BLACK_ is obtained from the whole plant of _Spirea Ulmaria_, but especially the root. It is gathered then dried in the sun, and a strong decoction made by boiling for some hours, (a large handful to 3 pints of water). After it has boiled slowly for 2 to 3 hours, stale urine is added to supply the loss by evaporation. Then set aside to cool. The cloth to be dyed, is rubbed strongly with bog iron ore, previously roughened and moistened with water. It is then rolled up and boiled in the decoction. This is of a brilliant black. A fine black is said to have been formerly obtained from the roots of _Angelica Sylvestris_."--(Edmonstone on the Native Dyes of the Shetland Islands, 1841.) William Morris says;

"[17]Black is best made by dyeing dark blue wool with brown; and walnut is better than iron for the brown part, because the iron-brown is apt to rot the fibre; as you will see in some pieces of old tapestry, or old Persian carpets, where the black is quite perished, or at least in the case of the carpet--gone down to the knots. All intermediate shades of flesh colour can be got by means of weak baths of madder and walnut "saddening;" madder or cochineal mixed with weld gives us orange, and with saddening (walnut) all imaginable shades between yellow and red, including the ambers, maize-colour, etc."

From a Dye Book of 1705.--"Black may be compared to Night and Death, not only because all other colours are deepened and buried in the Black Dye, but that as Death puts an end to all Evils of Life, tis necessary that the Black Dye should remedy the faults of other colours, which have been occasioned by the deficiency of the Dyer or the Dye, or the change of Fashion according to the times and caprice of man."

FOOTNOTE:

[17]--For other recipes for Black, see Chapter VI on Logwood.