TURKEY-RED.

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We have now to consider the Turkey-red, as it is usually called, because,as we shall presently see, this mode of madder-dyeing was introducedinto Europe from the East. Turkey-red is highly important, as much for thevarious substances which concur in producing it as for its peculiar beauty,intensity, and permanency. As far as the history of this branch of dyeing isconcerned we briefly note the following:—Undoubtedly this peculiar mode ofapplying madder to cloth is of Indian origin, where, according to the account ofM.Le Goux de Flain, the cloth intended to be dyed is first steeped and paddedabout in buffalo’s or sheep’s milk, and next exposed to the sun. From Indiathe art of preparing the cloth as required for this dye came over to the Levant,and was introduced into France in the eighteenth century by some Greeks.

Before entering into the full details of Turkey-red dyeing, and discussingthe various points specifically, it will be advisable to give a concise preli-minary sketch as follows :—This process consists in the application of the fourundermentioned operations: (a), mordanting of the tissues with oil ; (6), theapplication of tannin (alum); (c), the dyeing in madder, or also in garancin;(d), the clearing and brightening. The first operation is performed on thegoods, which have been previously well bleached and bottomed, by liming andbowking : they are immersed in a mixture of a peculiarly sour olive-oil ( huiletonrnantc ), pearl-ash, sheep’s dung, and water. On being removed from thismixture they are slightly rinsed in water, and next brought over into a freshmixture of the oil, pearl-ash, and water. After being well worked about in thisliquid they are exposed to air, spread out on grass-plots, and placed as if forthe purpose of bleaching if the weather be warm, but in winter stove-heatedrooms are resorted to. This operation of oiling is repeated, in some instanceseven seven or eight times. The excess of oil, or that at least which hasnot changed its character by oxidation and alkali, is removed by steeping andwashing. The next process is the galling, as it is technically termed, andthis is sometimes done separately, at other times also combined with the appli-cation of alum, but so that the immersion of the pieces in decodtions ofmaterials containing tannin is effected first, and followed by the steeping ofthe goods in an aluminous mordant. The materials employed as astringentsare nut-galls and sumach, which are applied as infusion decodtions, with whichthe pieces are padded. After having been dried, the goods are padded in asolution of alum previously neutralised with carbonate of soda; dried andalumed a second time, and next aged for some days ; they are then fixed, bypassing in warm water containing ground chalk. When washed out of thisthe goods are ready for dyeing in madder or garancin. On leaving the dye-beck the goods, which are of a very heavy brownish-red, are brightened bytwo or three soapings, or a passage through acid.

Resuming briefly this important subjedt, we may state that the bleachedtissues, or yarn (animal fibres, however, wool and silk, are never so treated)are first soaked in what is commonly, in this country, called Gallipoli* oil,°f a peculiar quality, because the oil to be suitable for this use must, whenmixed with a small quantity of an alkaline carbonate, form a white emulsion,and this is due—as we know from M. Pelouze’s researches—to a ferment whichthe oil, when liberated from the berry, carries with it, and which resolves it

* Gallipoli is the name of an Italian sea-port town, whence olive oil is largely exported : theod here alluded to is, however, an inferior kind, at least as far as its consumption for food

,s concerned.

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