Chapter II: Preface (2)

All light colors, such as light blues, pinks, drabs, yellows, etc., that you are desirous of making old gold need but to be washed with soap and hot water prior to entering in bath. Prepare your bath with two ounces of turmeric and one gallon of boiling water, more or less matters not. Enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about two minutes, after which add a small pinch of copperas, about the size of a bean. Let your feathers remain in bath about one minute longer, after which take feathers from bath and add thereto a few drops of diluted Bismarck brown; let them remain in bath about one minute longer; take them out, cool off a small portion of the bath with cold water, add a small handful of starch, pass your feathers through and dry. If wanted a very dark shade of gold, a few drops of diluted logwood added to bath will have the desired effect; and if wanted lighter, a smaller quantity of copperas in bath.

If the shade be found entirely too dark for sample, a solution of oxalic acid in luke warm water will draw off a portion of the color and brighten what is left. If wanted a very yellowish shade of gold, use more turmeric, less copperas and no logwood, and be particular to have your bath at all times at a boiling temperature.

GARNET.

It is not necessary to wash your feathers, except they are very dirty and greasy. As a rule all old colors, excepting greens, navy blues or blacks, can be used for this color without bleaching. Prepare bath by boiling about one pound of logwood to a gallon of water or more about fifteen minutes; strain off liquor from wood; add about two tablespoonfuls of extract of archil, and bring again to a boil. Enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about four or five minutes, after which take feathers from bath, rinse twice in clean cold water, and dilute a small handful of starch in a little clear cold water; pass feathers through and dry in the usual way. Should your color be found too dark for sample to be matched, dilute a couple of drops of sulphuric acid in your starch bath, and pass feathers through for a few seconds; first, however, adding a little hot water to increase temperature.

If found lighter than the desired shade, rinse your feathers thoroughly in cold water and dilute half an ounce of bichromate of potash in about one gallon of boiling water; pass your feathers through for a few seconds, rinse thoroughly and dry. Great care is necessary in passing feathers through this chrome bath, as the color will oxidize very rapidly.

If your sample to match be more on the brown shade, a very little archil, not more than one-half the prescribed quantity must be used; and if more on the purple or plum, add more archil than the quantity specified.

In preparing bath, when you have added the archil, be careful in bringing it to boiling temperature that you do not allow it to boil any time, as that would have a tendency to dull your color. By keeping this bath clean it can be used several times, in fact, it improves with age; and, if kept in a crock, so that it will not come in contact with any metallic substance, and when needed just brought to boiling temperature; and if needed, a teaspoonful of archil added to it will produce very beautiful shades of garnet.

This bath can be used to make your plum colors; and if you have an old bath of logwood on hand it is not necessary to boil a fresh one, simply add the archil, and bring to a boil.

TERRA COTTA.

If white feathers, wash and rinse them thoroughly with hot water, and if faded out light colors, extract color by bleaching with permanganate of potash in the usual way; being careful to rinse well in hot water to remove all the acid used in bleaching before entering bath. Prepare bath as follows: about a gallon of luke warm water, and add a small handful of starch. Enter feathers, rub around in bath between the hands, take out and add a few drops of diluted safranine, and copperas about the size of a pea. Enter feathers and let remain in bath about one minute; take out and add about half a teaspoonful of diluted aniline brown; re-enter feathers and let them remain in about half a minute longer; after which dry in the usual way. If found too pink for sample, add a few drops more aniline brown, and return to bath for a few seconds. If found too yellow, add a few drops more of diluted safranine, and keep in bath a few seconds longer; if wanted darker, add a little more of each color, and keep in bath longer.

BOTTLE GREEN.

After washing and rinsing feathers thoroughly,--if dirty or greasy, extracting color if necessary,--prepare bath as follows: One ounce of turmeric diluted in one gallon of boiling water; enter your feathers and let remain in about one minute, after which take out and rinse thoroughly. Prepare a weak bath of logwood, about half a pound to the gallon of water, or about half the usual strength of an ordinary logwood bath for black; boil a few minutes, after which enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about one minute; then take out and rinse thoroughly in cold water; after which prepare a bath of half an ounce of bichromate of potash to one gallon of boiling water. Dissolve bichromate of potash, enter feathers and let them remain in about half a minute; a little longer if a very dark shade be required, and so much less time if a very light shade is required; after which take feathers out and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Dilute about one-half a teaspoonful of aniline green in a gallon of boiling water, and reduce temperature of bath a few degrees with cold water; then enter feathers and let them remain in bath about two or three minutes; remove feathers and cool off a small portion of the bath with cold water, and add to it a small handful of starch; pass your feathers through the bath, squeeze out and dry off in the usual way.

If found to be lighter than shade desired, rinse off starch thoroughly, and return for a few seconds to logwood bath without increasing temperature any; then rinse off in cold water, and pass through a weak solution of bichromate of potash, about one-quarter ounce to a gallon; after which rinse, starch and dry.

If found darker than shade desired, pass feathers through a solution of half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in about one gallon of luke warm water for about thirty seconds; take them out of this and rinse twice through boiling water, and then give a weak bath of aniline green,--about half the strength of the first bath. If samples to be matched be more on the yellow or olive, use decidedly more turmeric in the first bath, and add a little, say about a teaspoonful, to the aniline green bath. If a green on the blue, it will be necessary to use only one-half the turmeric prescribed in the first bath.

STEEL COLOR.

All light colors can be used to make a good shade of steel by first extracting colors by the usual process of bleaching with permanganate of potash; if white and dirty, wash thoroughly in hot water and soap and rinse. Prepare your bath as follows: To one gallon of luke warm water add a small handful of starch; enter your feathers, rub them around well in bath; after which add a small pinch of copperas and about a tablespoonful of logwood liquor, and let remain in about one minute; increase temperature of bath and add a few drops of diluted violet, first removing your feathers from bath; re-enter feathers and let remain about one minute, or until your feathers look about four shades darker than sample; after which take out and dry.

If found too light, return to bath and add more logwood liquor and a few drops more violet, and should you find them altogether too dark for sample, extract your color by passing them through a solution of one teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hot water; after which rinse them off by passing them through a gallon of boiling water about twice, when you will find your color reduced four or five shades. The oxalic acid renders the feathers a bright yellow.

Boiling water will draw off the logwood and bring out your shade of drab in as much milder form; then proceed to mix a new drab bath the same as per recipe, only using more caution not to get it too dark; enter feathers, bring to shade, using a drop of violet to brighten up color. Be careful in drying not to use starch that has previously been used on a color where acid was used to develop.

FELT DRAB.

Prepare feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly, or bleaching if needed; after which mix a bath of luke warm water and starch. Enter feathers and manipulate in bath a few seconds between the hands; after which add a small quantity of copperas, about the size of a pea. Enter feathers and let them remain in about half a minute; take out feathers and add a few drops of logwood liquor; re-enter feathers and let them remain in about half a minute; add to bath about a drop of diluted safranine, and if shade be wanted a little on the yellow, a drop of diluted Bismarck brown can be added. Allow feathers to remain in until they look about three shades darker than sample; then take out and dry as usual. If found either too dark or too light, treat precisely as preceding color (steel). Be careful not to use starch that has been used for an acid color.

SLATE COLOR.

To make this color all light colors can be used and some dark ones; only those, however, that do not contain much yellow, as, for example, blues, reds, etc. After preparing for bath by washing and rinsing, or by extracting color if necessary, mix a bath of logwood, about half the usual strength, and enter feathers. Bath must be at boiling temperature, and let them remain in about one minute; after which take out and rinse. Proceed to mix a bath of one quarter ounce of copperas and one gallon of boiling water; enter feathers and let them remain in bath about half a minute; take out and cool off a small portion of the bath, add starch and pass feathers through, squeeze out and dry.

If the color to be matched be very dark, repeat the bath of logwood and mix a bath of one-quarter ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water. Enter feathers and let remain in about half a minute; after which rinse off in cold water, and starch and dry. If a very brilliant shade be required, when you have rinsed feathers from bichromate of potash bath, wash thoroughly in soap-suds and rinse in luke warm water. Dilute a small quantity of starch in cold water, pass feathers through and dry. The above recipe produces a most beautiful shade of slate color, perfectly fast to light, and the depth of shade is regulated by the quantity of logwood. Should you find your color altogether too dark for sample, proceed to extract by passing through a solution of one teaspoonful of oxalic acid to one gallon of boiling water for about half a minute, and then rinsing off twice or three times in boiling water; after which repeat in a milder form.

ORANGE COLOR.

Prepare feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly. Prepare bath by diluting about two ounces of turmeric in a gallon of boiling water, and enter your feathers, letting them remain in bath about two minutes; then take them out and add a few drops of diluted Bismarck brown and about a teaspoonful of oxalic acid; re-enter your feathers and bring bath to a boil, and let remain in about three minutes; after which take out, and cool off a small quantity of bath, add a small handful of starch, pass feathers through and dry.

Should you desire a very full dark shade, use about twice the amount of turmeric, add a few drops more Bismarck brown; and if wanted much lighter, use less of each color. If wanted more yellow, use very small quantity of Bismarck brown; and if a very reddish shade of orange, a little more Bismarck brown than amount prescribed in recipe.

There are numerous orange anilines in the market that are used successfully in dyeing shades of orange, but it is almost necessary to have a different shade of aniline for every shade of color made. Should your sample to be matched be rather dull, use no oxalic acid in bath, as the oxalic acid is used in developing and brightening the shade. To remove the color, should it be too dark, the first method is to wash well in soap water, rinse and pass through a solution of oxalic acid in warm water, about half an ounce to the gallon.

SCARLET.

Wash and rinse your feathers thoroughly, and if required to remove a surplus of any old color, pass through a bath of permanganate of potash, as per recipe; after which prepare a bath of half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid to one gallon of boiling water and about a teaspoonful of turmeric; enter feathers and let them remain in bath about half a minute, after which take them out and add to bath about half a teaspoonful of rocceline; dissolve powder thoroughly, and return to bath; let them remain in about one minute longer, then cool off a small quantity of the bath and add a small handful of starch; pass your feathers through, squeeze out and dry as usual.

If wanted a very dark shade, add a little more rocceline and let remain longer in bath. If shade be a little on the orange, use more turmeric and less rocceline; and if more on the cardinal, vice versa. Should you, through carelessness, get your color too dark, to remove color rinse off and wash thoroughly in a soap bath, and rinse off in boiling water about twice, which will have the effect of reducing the color several shades; mix a new bath as per recipe, and enter feathers, using more care and judgment and proceed to starch and dry as called for in recipe.

MAROON.

Almost any odd shades of color can be used without extracting colors, but if dirty or greasy, it is always best to wash thoroughly and rinse. Take your old logwood bath that has been used for black and other colors, or else boil a fresh bath of the same proportions, about a pound to the gallon. When at boiling temperature add thereto a half cupful of extract of archil, first removing the grounds of logwood from the bath; then enter your feathers and let them remain in the bath about four or five minutes; take them out and rinse thoroughly in cold water, and prepare a bath of one-half ounce of bichromate of potash to a gallon of boiling water, and thoroughly dissolve potash; after which pass your goods through for a few seconds only, and take out and rinse twice in cold water; dilute a small handful of starch in clean cold water, pass feathers through and dry.

Should a very dark shade be required, allow your feathers to remain in bichromate of potash bath a few seconds longer; take out and dry. Should you find your color too dark for sample, it is only necessary to add to your starch bath a few drops of sulphuric acid, and add a small quantity of hot water to increase temperature a few degrees, and pass feathers through. This bath, same as the garnet, can be used again, and improves with age if kept in a clean place. If you have an old garnet bath on hand, it will answer for maroon by bringing to a boil and adding about a teaspoonful more extract of archil to it.

LEMON COLOR.

Wash and rinse your feathers thoroughly if dirty whites; if old faded out light colors, bleach with permanganate of potash; after which prepare bath as follows: One gallon of luke warm water and a handful of starch; enter your feathers and rub around between the hands for a few seconds; then add to bath a teaspoonful of oxalic acid, and dilute about a tablespoonful of turmeric in a small quantity of water, and add a few drops of the liquor to the bath; re-enter your feathers and let them remain in about one minute or so; after which take them out and add a drop of diluted indigo blue; return feathers to bath and allow them to remain about one minute longer in bath, after which take out, squeeze and dry usual.

If a deep rich shade be desired, and you have no sample to match, use no indigo in the bath. Another excellent method of making lemon is to substitute an equal amount of picric acid for turmeric; and, should you find your color entirely too dark for your sample, rinse off your feathers in luke warm water, and proceed to wash with soap and hot water, and rinse thoroughly in boiling water; then prepare a fresh bath as per recipe, and enter your feathers, using much care. If found too light for your sample, add to bath a little more turmeric liquor, and return feathers to bath for a few seconds longer, and dry.

BLACK.

The most staple and important of all the colors. Some will argue that it is not a color; I, to the contrary, however, that it is not only a color, but a combination of colors, and it is the knowledge of how to properly combine them that results in the production of a very handsome and glossy black. Twelve years ago a bath of black that was commenced on Monday and was ready to go into the drying-room by Saturday was considered at that time a most expeditious piece of work; and, even up to the present time, some of our old orthodox dyers,--those old chronic, methodical dyers,--those who dye according to the most approved and advantageous methods of half a century ago,--still continue to occupy the greater part of a week in getting a black on what (by that time) is left of the feathers. Their object from the start is to produce a black, and they generally succeed.

Begin, if raw stock, by washing and rinsing thoroughly in order to remove all natural grease and dirt adhering to the fibre. If they are old colors to be redyed a black, it is not necessary to wash them nor to bleach them for the purpose of removing any of the color, as the black bath will overcome all the other colors; as, for example, a navy blue, a bottle green, garnet, etc., can be all entered at the same time, and put through precisely the same process, and they will all be the same shade of black when they are dried.

Prepare bath by diluting a quarter pound of turmeric in a gallon of boiling water and bring to a boil; after which enter your feathers, and let remain in bath about five minutes, keeping them well under the surface, and gently moving while in bath; after which take feathers out and rinse twice in clear cold water. Meantime dilute one pound of logwood in about one and a half gallons of boiling water, and boil for about fifteen minutes; after which enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about four minutes; then take out and rinse thoroughly in two waters. Dilute one ounce of bichromate of potash in one gallon, more or less, of boiling water, enough to completely cover up your feathers, dissolving bichromate of potash thoroughly. Enter your feathers, let them remain in bath about three minutes; after which take them out and rinse thoroughly. Meantime have logwood bath boiling, and return feathers to it. Cover up, and let them remain about eight minutes; take out and rinse twice as before. After rinsing, prepare a bath of about half an ounce of bichromate of potash and salts of tartar about the size of a pea in a gallon of boiling water; dissolve thoroughly. Let them remain in bath about three minutes; after which take out and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Then mix a bath of hot soap-suds, and enter feathers; wash well and rinse in luke warm water.

The washing and rinsing is not absolutely necessary, in fact, it can not much improve what is already a clean, glossy black. Washing, however, if productive of a change at all, must be beneficial. Then proceed to mix a small handful of starch in a small quantity of cold water; pass feathers through and dry. While your feathers are in the bichromate of potash bath, they must be kept moving in bath constantly and well under the surface. There is nothing to be added to make a successful result, except it be to caution you to adhere as strictly as possible to the recipe.

It often occurs that feathers are brought in to be dipped over that have faded out, or have grown rusty looking from exposure to light and long wear. The color can be restored by simply passing them through the last two baths for the same length of time that is allotted to the regular recipe. During the process of drying black be sure to have the starch beaten out as fast as it dries. It is best to dry them in the open air, and, if possible, allow them to hang in the sun for a while, as it improves the color. One especial advantage this black has over most others, is that it improves with age; and, instead of fading, the black will grow more intense.

LILAC.

Wash and rinse thoroughly in hot soap water, and rinse in about four waters to remove any particle of soap that may adhere to the feathers; next prepare bath of one gallon of hand warm water, and add a handful of starch. Enter feathers and rub thoroughly between the hands; remove and add to bath a few drops of diluted violet, according to shade required; add about two drops of diluted saffranine, and re-enter feathers, let remain in bath about three minutes, squeeze out and dry in powdered starch in the usual way. Be sure your starch is clean and free from acid, and also that your board is in the same condition. Great care should be exercised to see that every particle of the violet is dissolved to avoid spots on the feathers. Should quite a bluish shade be desired, a drop of diluted aniline green added will produce the desired result.

GENDARME BLUE.

Prepare feathers by washing thoroughly, and rinse about four times in hot water to remove any particle of soap that may adhere to the feathers. Prepare a bath of a teaspoonful of indigotine powder to one gallon of boiling water. Mix thoroughly and enter feathers, and let remain in about one minute, after which remove and add about one teaspoonful of oxalic acid or same quantity of sulphuric acid, and re-enter feathers, letting them remain in bath about five minutes longer; then remove from bath and cool off. Reserve a small portion of bath, and cool off with cold water, adding a drop of sulphuric acid and a small handful of starch; pass feathers through and dry in powdered starch by rubbing between the hands or by simply beating out on a clean board, used only for drying acid colors.

Should you find your color too dark, thoroughly rinse off all the starch and pass feathers through a bath of boiling water and let remain about half a minute; pass through starch bath and dry. If found too light, simply increase temperature of bath by adding boiling water and few drops more indigotine; re-enter feathers and let them remain in bath a couple of minutes longer.

TRILEUL.

Wash and rinse feathers thoroughly in hot water and soap, and rinse thoroughly in about four hot waters; then pass through a bath of plain boiling water; next prepare a bath of one gallon of luke warm water, and add a handful of starch. Enter feathers and rub thoroughly between the hands; remove and add a teaspoonful of oxalic acid; enter feathers and let them remain in bath about two minutes; then remove and add to bath a few drops of diluted picric acid, and re-enter feathers; let remain in about one minute longer, take out and dry in the usual way by rubbing in powdered starch between the hands and beating out on a clean board until all the starch has been removed from the fibre. Should you find your color a shade too dark, mix a luke warm starch bath, and pass feathers through, keeping them under about half a minute, and dry as usual. Be careful that your picric acid is thoroughly dissolved, as otherwise it will be likely to spot your feathers, if the particles come in contact with the flues, and the spots are very hard to remove, as it would be necessary to put them through a bleaching process.

ARMY BLUE.

Prepare feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly in hot water. Be careful about rinsing to remove every particle of soap that may adhere to the fibre, after which prepare bath as follows: One teaspoonful of indigotine powder, diluted in one gallon of boiling water, and add thereto about half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid, stirring around well to thoroughly dissolve every particle of color. Enter feathers and let them remain in bath about four minutes; after which take out and rinse in luke warm water to remove the acid in feathers; next prepare a bath of one gallon of hand warm water and add a small handful of starch; add thereto a cupful of boiled logwood liquor and a few grains of copperas, enter feathers, let remain in bath about three minutes; take out and dry by rubbing between the hands in powdered starch, and beat out on a clean board until all the starch has been removed. Should you find your color darker than shade required, prepare a bath of half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hand warm water, and pass feathers through about half a minute; take out and pass through boiling water, after which pass through starch bath and dry. Should you find shade too light, add more logwood to bath, increase temperature, let remain in a couple of minutes longer and dry.

PURPLE.

Prepare feathers by washing in hot water and soap thoroughly, and afterwards rinse in about four hot waters to remove every particle of soap and dirt; after which prepare bath as follows: Take one gallon of water about 200° Fah.; dilute therein half a teaspoonful of Violet 3 B., stirring it around thoroughly to dissolve every particle. Enter your feathers and let remain about five minutes; after which take out and pour out the bath, reserving some, and cooling it off with cold, clean water, add a small handful of starch and pass feathers through, first cooling them off by shaking them in the air; rub them between the hands in starch bath to aid the flue or fibre to expand; after which squeeze out and rub thoroughly between the hands, and beat out on a clean board until every particle of starch has been removed. Should you find the top or tips a darker shade than the bottom, or should they bronze or assume a metallic appearance, pass feathers through a bowl of boiling water with a small pinch of soda added, and rinse; after which pass through a new starch bath with a few drops of diluted violet added; take out and dry.

MEDIUM GREEN.

Prepare your feathers same as for bottle green. Prepare bath by diluting about one ounce of turmeric in a gallon of boiling water, and enter feathers, letting them remain in bath about two minutes; after which take out and rinse in cold water twice. Have boiling a medium strong bath of logwood, and pass feathers through for a few seconds, first cooling off temperature of logwood bath a few degrees with cold water; after which rinse off thoroughly, and prepare a bath of a quarter of an ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water, dissolve it thoroughly, and enter feathers; let them remain in this bath about ten seconds, and take them out and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Proceed to dilute one teaspoonful of turmeric and a half teaspoonful of aniline green in a gallon of boiling water, and reduce temperature a few degrees with cold water. Enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about three minutes; then take them out and cool off a small portion of bath, and add a small handful of starch, and dry in the usual way.

If found to be too dark, add a few drops of diluted oxalic acid to starch bath, and pass your feathers through for a few seconds. If found too light, rinse off the starch in cold water and return to logwood bath for a few seconds, without increasing the temperature any, and rinse off and give a weak bath of bichromate of potash, rinse off and dry.

BEIGE.

Prepare your feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly, or if old light colors, bleach with permanganate of potash, being sure to rinse out in hot water to remove acid from feathers, before putting in bath. Dilute a small quantity of starch in a gallon of boiling water, and enter your feathers, rubbing them around in bath between the hands to expands the flues and admit the color evenly on feathers. After which add to bath a small pinch of copperas, about the size of a bean, and about a teaspoonful of turmeric, and enter your feathers, letting them remain in bath about one minute; take them out, and add about a teaspoonful of logwood liquor; re-enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about one minute, first increasing the temperature by adding hot water; after which remove feathers from bath, and add thereto a few drops of diluted Bismarck brown. To bring the ecru tint desired, a few seconds before taking feathers from bath to dry, add a couple of drops of diluted violet, squeeze out and dry.

If a very dark shade of beige is wanted use a greater amount of logwood and Bismarck brown, and if lighter shade is desired, less color should be used. Should your color be found altogether too dark for sample, dilute about half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hot water, more or less. Pass your feathers through for a few seconds, and rinse off twice in luke warm water and once in boiling water. Then mix a fresh bath of luke warm water and starch, and add thereto a small proportion of turmeric and diluted Bismarck brown, and copperas about the size of a pea. Enter your feathers, and, using care, bring to the desired shade.

CORN COLOR.

Prepare feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly if dirty greasy whites, or bleach with permanganate of potash if faded out light colors. Prepare your bath as follows: Take one gallon of luke warm water and dilute therein a small handful of starch, and rub your feathers around between the hands. Add about a half teaspoonful of turmeric and dilute well in bath. Enter your feathers and rub around well between the hands. Increase the temperature of your bath by adding hot water, and allow your feathers to remain in bath about one minute; then take them out and add a couple of drops of diluted aniline brown; re-enter feathers and let them remain in bath about one minute longer; then squeeze out and dry as usual.

If your shade to match be considerably on the yellow shade, use very little aniline brown, about one drop, and if more on the brown, use less turmeric. If your color be entirely too dark and dull looking, dilute half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid, and pass feathers through for a few seconds and rinse off in luke warm water. Prepare a fresh bath and enter your feathers, as per recipe; or, if wanted a very bright shade, wash off with soap and hot water, and rinse thoroughly in hot water. Then prepare a bath of one teaspoonful of turmeric, one teaspoonful of oxalic acid and one teaspoonful of diluted Bismarck brown in a gallon of luke warm water. Enter your feathers and keep in bath about two minutes, add a little starch to bath, and pass feathers through for a few seconds longer, squeeze out and dry in the usual way.

ELECTRIC BLUE.

Feathers must be white, or nearly so, to make a good clear shade of electric blue. Prepare your feathers by washing with soap and hot water if dirty whites, and if old, faded light colors bleach with permanganate of potash. Prepare your bath as follows: Take half a teaspoonful of cotton blue and a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid,--a little more or less matters not,--in a gallon of boiling water. Enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about five minutes; after which take out and rinse twice in cold water and once in hot water to remove all acid and loose color. Prepare a bath of about one cupful of logwood liquor and a small pinch of copperas in a gallon of hot water, not quite boiling, however, and pass feathers through for a couple of minutes. Cool off a little of your bath, and add a small handful of starch and a few drops of violet, pass feathers through and dry.

MEDIUM BROWN.

All light colors can be made a handsome shade of medium brown without removing the color by bleaching or without washing, unless very dirty and greasy. Prepare your bath by diluting about two ounces of turmeric and a half ounce of copperas in one gallon, more or less, of boiling water. Enter your feathers, keep them well under the surface of bath, and let them remain therein about two minutes; after which take out, rinse twice in cold water. Have boiling meantime a medium strong bath of logwood, about the same proportion as for black; boil about fifteen minutes, and enter your feathers, allowing them to remain in about one minute; after which take out and rinse off twice in cold water; then dilute about a half teaspoonful of aniline brown in a gallon of boiling water, and after dissolving well, enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about two minutes; take out and rinse in cold water; after which dilute a small handful of starch in a small quantity of luke warm water, and add to that a couple of drops of sulphuric acid; pass feathers through for a few seconds, squeeze out and dry.

Should your color be too dark to match sample, return to starch bath, add a few drops of sulphuric acid, let feathers remain in about half a minute, and dry. If a darker shade is wanted, it is necessary to rinse off starch in cold water, and return your feathers to logwood bath for a few seconds, rinse off and repeat Bismarck brown bath as before. By this process, with a little judgment, all shades of brown can be produced in the most satisfactory manner.

MEDIUM BLUE.

Prepare your feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly in hot water; light faded out colors need not be bleached, but thoroughly washed in hot soap suds instead. Prepare your bath as follows: Take one teaspoonful of concentrated cotton blue and one teaspoonful of oxalic acid, dilute it in one gallon of boiling water. Be careful to see that the blue crystals are well dissolved. Enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about four minutes, keeping them well under the surface. Meantime keep them gently agitated to insure an even color; after which take out, rinse, starch and dry.

If your feathers be found too dark for sample, or too much on the purple, rinse off, starch in cold water thoroughly, and pass through a bowl of boiling water, starch and dry, using a few grains of oxalic acid diluted in starch bath.

If a very light shade be desired, use but half the quantity of cotton blue, and do not allow them to remain in bath quite so long a time. If a much darker shade be required than the foregoing recipe will produce, then rinse off your feathers thoroughly in cold water, to remove all starch, and pass feathers through a medium strong bath of logwood at boiling temperature for a few seconds, and rinse off twice in cold water; dilute a half ounce of bichromate of potash in a gallon of boiling water, and pass your feathers through for a few seconds only; rinse, starch and dry. Should you get your color too dark by this process, pass your feathers through a solution of half a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of boiling water, and rinse off in boiling water twice; then dilute a small quantity of starch in luke warm water, add a few grains of oxalic acid to it, pass feathers through and dry as usual.

MAGENTA.

Prepare your feathers, whether dirty whites or faded out light colors, by washing thoroughly in hot soap suds and rinsing well in hot water. Prepare your bath as follows: Take about a half teaspoonful of safranine and dilute in one gallon, more or less, of boiling water, and add thereto a half tablespoonful of extract of archil. Enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about two minutes; after which take out and add to bath a few drops of diluted violet, and re-enter your feathers, letting them remain in bath about one minute longer. Then take out and rinse in cold water, and dilute a small handful of starch in bowl of luke warm water; pass feathers through and dry.

If found too red for sample, rinse off and add to bath a tablespoonful of extract of archil; return feathers to bath for about one minute, first, however, increasing temperature; next rinse, starch and dry.

If found to be too much on the plum for sample, rinse off and add to bath about a quarter teaspoonful of safranine, increase temperature of bath to almost boiling; enter feathers and let them remain in bath about one minute; after which rinse, starch and dry. If found to be too light, add a few drops of diluted violet to bath; and, if too dark, dilute a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid in one gallon of luke warm water, and pass feathers through for a few seconds, rinse off twice or more in boiling water; then prepare bath same as per recipe, and allow them to remain until desired shade is obtained.

SEA FOAM.

This is a very delicate shade of color bordering on pea green. Your feathers must be white, or nearly so. If dirty whites, wash and rinse thoroughly; and, if old faded out colors, pass through bleach of permanganate of potash; after which prepare your bath of one gallon of luke warm water and a small handful of starch, and enter your feathers, rubbing them around between the hands. Take feathers from bath and add about a half teaspoonful of turmeric; re-enter your feathers, keeping them moving around in bath about half a minute. Then take out your feathers and add to bath a couple of drops of diluted aniline green. Re-enter feathers, first increasing the temperature of your bath a few degrees by adding hot water, let them remain in bath about two minutes longer, squeeze out and dry in the usual way.

Should your sample be more on the green, you will simply add a few drops more diluted aniline green; and if more on the yellow, you can use less. If the shade to be matched be darker than your feathers, add more of each color in the preparation of first bath. If a rather dull shade be desired, which in this color is quite frequently the case, a small pinch of copperas about the size of a pea will have the desired effect.

Should you find your color entirely too dark for your sample, wash off thoroughly in soap suds, and rinse in hot water; after which dilute a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of luke warm water, pass feathers through for a few seconds and rinse off in luke warm water. Then prepare your bath as per recipe, using a little more care and judgment in your second attempt.

SALMON.

Have your feathers white, or nearly so, by washing if dirty, or bleaching with permanganate if needed, being careful to rinse thoroughly for the purpose of removing any acid or soap; after which prepare your bath as follows: Take one gallon of luke warm water and a small handful of starch. Enter your feathers and rub around between the hands for a few seconds; then add to bath a few drops of diluted safranine and copperas about the size of a pea. Let your feathers remain in bath about one minute; after which take out and add to bath about one teaspoonful of diluted Bismarck brown, first increasing temperature of bath a few degrees with hot water; re-enter your feathers and allow them to remain in bath about a minute; after which squeeze out and dry in the usual way.

If your sample to be matched be more on the pink, use less aniline brown; and if more on the yellow, use less safranine and more aniline brown. Should you desire a much darker shade, use more of each color than laid down in recipe, and add a few drops of logwood liquor. If your feathers be found altogether too dark for sample, rinse off starch in cold water and dilute a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid in luke warm water, and pass your feathers through for a few seconds, take out and rinse a couple of times in hot water (not boiling). Prepare bath again as per recipe, using greater care. This shade of color is on the order of the terra cotta and crushed strawberry, and can be made in the same bath by adding color or diluting. Be careful in drying to use only clean starch and a clean board that has not been used with any acid colors.

STONE COLOR.

Stone color is a shade varying very slightly from slate and smoke color. All light shades can be used for this color; first preparing them by washing and rinsing them thoroughly. Prepare a medium strong bath of logwood by boiling for about fifteen minutes; after which enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about two or three minutes, longer if a very dark shade be required; then take them out and rinse in cold water twice. Prepare a bath of half ounce of bichromate of potash in one gallon of boiling water, and dissolve thoroughly. Enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about two minutes, keeping them well under the surface of bath and moving at the same time, to assist in producing an even color; after which take out and rinse off about three times in cold water, and prepare a bath of hot soap water. Enter your feathers, and wash thoroughly, adding to bath a small pinch of soda; after which rinse carefully in hot water; dissolve a small handful of starch in cold water, pass your feathers through, squeeze out and dry in the usual way.

If your feathers be found much too light for your sample to be matched, rinse off starch in cold water, and return your feathers to logwood bath for a few seconds; dissolve a small pinch of copperas in a gallon of boiling water, reduce temperature a little and enter your feathers, letting them remain in bath a few seconds. Take out and pass through starch and dry. If found to be altogether too dark, dilute a teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon of hot water; pass feathers through a few seconds and rinse off in boiling water twice; wash, starch and dry.

BRONZE.

Wash and rinse thoroughly, using soap for washing, and rinse out in hot water about four times; after which prepare a bath of one quarter pound of turmeric to one gallon of boiling water. Enter feathers and let remain in bath about three minutes; take out and rinse. Boil a bath of half pound of logwood to one gallon of water about ten minutes; enter feathers and let remain in bath about four minutes; take out and rinse. Then prepare a bath of half an ounce of bichromate of potash and one gallon of boiling water, and let feathers remain in bath about two minutes, take out and rinse. Next prepare a bath of one quarter pound of turmeric and one-quarter teaspoonful of Victoria green crystals, and add one gallon of boiling water. Enter feathers and let remain in bath about four minutes; take out, cool off a small portion of the bath and add a small handful of starch. Pass feathers through and dry in powdered starch by pressing between the hands; then beat on a board or table until all the starch is removed from the feather.

CHOCOLATE.

Prepare your feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly; and, if necessary, bleach with permanganate of potash. After doing this, rinse thoroughly in hot water for the purpose of removing all acid from the fibre. Prepare your bath of one gallon of water at boiling temperature; add thereto a teaspoonful of turmeric and a small pinch of copperas about the size of a bean. Enter your feathers and allow them to remain in bath about one minute or longer. Take out your feathers, and add to bath about one tablespoonful of diluted Bismarck Brown and a few drops of diluted violet; re-enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath about three minutes, keeping them meanwhile well under the surface of the bath; after which take them out, cool off a small portion of the bath, and add thereto a small handful of starch; pass your feathers through and dry in the usual way.

If a very dark shade be required, you will add to bath about a tablespoonful of logwood liquor at the same time you add the violet, and allow them to remain in bath a little longer. Should you find your color entirely too dark for your sample to be matched, rinse off starch in cold water; dilute about a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a gallon or more of hot water. Pass your feathers through, and rinse off in luke warm water twice; then pass your feathers through a bath of boiling water, for the purpose of effectively removing the acid; after which prepare again as called for in recipe, using a little more care, and the desired result will be obtained.

MOSS COLOR.

Wash your feathers and rinse thoroughly. Prepare your bath of quarter pound of turmeric and a half ounce of copperas diluted in a gallon or more of boiling water. Enter your feathers and let them remain in bath about two minutes; after which take out and rinse twice in cold water. Meantime have a medium strong bath of logwood boiling, and enter your feathers, letting them remain in about one minute, take out and rinse. Then prepare a bath of about two ounces of turmeric and a small pinch of aniline green in a gallon of boiling water. Enter your feathers and allow them to remain in bath about three minutes or longer. Take out and cool off a small quantity of bath with cold water; add a small handful of starch, pass your feathers through and dry.

If your color be found too much on the green for your sample to be matched, add to starch bath a few drops of sulphuric acid; or, instead, rinse off starch and mix a bath of two ounces of turmeric in a gallon of boiling water; pass your feathers through for a minute or so, starch and dry.

If found to be too much on the yellow or olive, add to your bath a few grains of aniline green, and return them to the same for a few seconds, first rinsing off starch in cold water. If found too light, pass for a few seconds through a weak bath of bichromate of potash; and if too dark, dilute a few grains of oxalic acid in hot water, and add to your starch bath a few drops. Pass your feathers through for a few seconds and dry in the usual way.

PLAIN DRAB.

If your feathers are old, dirty whites, wash and rinse them thoroughly. If light colors, remove the same by passing through permanganate of potash process, and use great care in rinsing to remove all the acid before entering in bath. Prepare your bath with one gallon of luke warm water and a small handful of starch; enter your feathers and rub them around well in bath between the hands to expand the fibres. Take out your feathers, and add to bath a small piece of copperas about the size of a bean and about a quarter cupful of logwood liquor; re-enter your feathers, and let them remain in bath a few minutes, meantime adding a small quantity of hot water to increase temperature of bath; then add a couple of drops of diluted safranine to bath, let remain in bath one minute longer, squeeze out and dry as usual.

If wanted more on the shade of felt drab, use, instead of safranine, a few drops of Bismarck brown; and if wanted more on the steel, use a few drops of diluted violet in bath. If a darker shade should be desired, use only a little more logwood liquor, and allow them to remain a short time in bath.

Should you find your color to be altogether too dark for sample to be matched, rinse off starch, and dilute a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid in hot water; pass your feathers through, rinse off a couple of times in luke warm water and lastly through boiling water, for the purpose of removing all acid. Then prepare a fresh bath according to recipe, and pass through until you have obtained the desired shade.

COFFEE COLOR.

Old faded out light colors need only to be thoroughly washed and rinsed to prepare them for this color; and darker colors can be prepared by bleaching with permanganate of potash, taking care to rinse thoroughly in hot water for the purpose of removing all the acid. Prepare your bath of about one teaspoonful of turmeric and copperas about the size of a bean in a gallon of boiling water. Enter your feathers and let remain in bath about two minutes; remove feathers from bath and add a half cupful of logwood liquor and return feathers to bath, letting them remain in about one minute; after which remove feathers and add to your bath about two tablespoonfuls of diluted Bismarck brown and hot water to increase temperature of bath; re-enter feathers and allow them to remain in about two minutes; after which cool off a small quantity of the bath and add a small handful of starch; pass feathers through and dry.

If found to be too light, return to bath, first adding more logwood liquor and Bismarck brown, and let them remain in bath about one minute. If too dark for your sample to be matched, dilute a few grains of oxalic acid in luke warm water; pass feathers through for a few seconds and rinse off three times in luke warm water. Then prepare bath as per recipe, using more care in the preparation.

If found too much on the yellow, a few drops of diluted safranine added to your bath will produce the desired effect. Use clean starch in drying; if a table or board is used, see that it is perfectly clean and free from acid.

PEA GREEN.

Prepare your feathers by washing thoroughly in hot water, and rinse thoroughly to remove any soap that may adhere to the feathers. Then prepare a bath by diluting a handful of starch in a half gallon of hand warm water, and rub feathers around between the hands. Remove feathers and a add a few drops of diluted Victoria green and a couple of drops of diluted picric acid. Enter feathers, letting them remain in bath about two minutes, keeping them well under the surface to insure an even color.

If wanted a shade more on the yellow, add a drop more of picric acid; and if more on the blue, leave the picric acid out entirely. Take out and dry in starch, being careful to beat out on a clean board in the usual way.

OLIVE BROWN.