Washington telegraph., 1863-07-29

DonEsrIc DYRs.-Letter fren lady
Rocky Comfort.-A la6y who belongs to the
highest order of aristOcracy in our government
being q soldiers wife, writes US an interesting
letter from Rocky Comfort on the SUBJECT q
the "Rhus Confederatum," shrub deecrIeed
by Dr. Taylor Of that place, in late eommu-
nication to the True Democrat She says we
would confer favor on many Of cur women
by describing it in simpler style than by Its
botanical names and properties. We shall be
glad to do 50 when We are put in possession OF
description OF 1t in such terms az can be un-
derstood by the unlearnsd. We hope some one
will undertake this Office. It viii be useful.
The lady says:
sThere are several varieties Of ths Rhus, To-
wit: Rhus Glabrum, r. Radicsns, *. Toxico-
dendron, r Vernix. Rhus Pumillum Of MI
chaux, and Rhus Confederstum Of Taylor. The
Rhus described by Taylor is not, he says, 90
poisonous as the other varieties. / tried 1t,
and find what he says about its colering
qualities to be true One Of my neighbor
women took Of the long vine, about 20 feet
long. She obtained pretty good color, brt
| her face was badly poisoned. A Mrs. -, o
| teacher of a school short distance from here,
\ contended that she had seen the plant in
| Canada, but upon enguiring Of her how large
| il grew, she described the swamp sumach- /
| have read botany in my girlhood, and have
\ forgotten much of il; but / think know the
shrub better than that by Taylors description.
! The Doctor told me a few days since az his
4 hospital, that it 1.-THE Rhus Confederatuml did
not grow outside Of the Confederate States, bat
that most Of the other varieties grew elsewh re
as we'll as in the South.
IL have heretofore been obliged 10 pay s.. so
per pound for sulphate of iron (copperasl, aud
now / can get better black without it. It
will save a great deal of the money Of oar
volunteers wives and other women will, of
course, keep their s.. 80 when they can gather
enough Of this shrub in an hour to color 20
pounds Of yarn. ] marked most of my linen
with the milky fluid, and after washing, II
looks beautiful. In fact, never saw anything
to equal il. The letters were as nice and plain
as if they had been written on fine white paper.
One handkerchief washed in strong kitchen
soap-suds eight times. For the first ri1 times
the writing became darker, and after that re-
mained the same. | wove s9me Of the black
in stripes with red, yellow and white, and the
black di not run. The white was not injured
ut all think we women OF the South ough
10 make the Doctor present for his inf0rma
| ton. 1t will save money. Besides that, j
does not injure the cloth as other blacks do
that require to be boiled 80 long, and copper
asei to boot. Only consider the amount il
eopperas alone. Each family in the Confede
Iacy would use at least two pounds AT 500
family what a sum would it amount TO. Be
sides that. it is the production Of our owr
sunny South For my part | feel proud 0
anything Southern. That's the talk.-Ed.
1t will do me good TO send my husband a sui
of clothes, made and colored all inside Of tn,
Confederate States"
And if your husband is not proud of tha
wife Of his at home when he gets them, he vii
, never deserve to get hack. We hope TO hea
more Of this plant, SO as to direct any one hov
to find il, and use it.