Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-05-23

Making rag carpet seems to be
quite an important branch OF indus
try among economical farmers
wives and daughters, and few
| suggestions in regard to their man.
ufacture may not come amiss. Put
none but strong rags in, for it does
not pay, and the economy in rag
carpet is not in the first cost, but
because it will out last any you can
buy. 1t is not at all necessary to
cut or tear the rags off at each end
of the peice, but turn tho corners,
rounding them off neatly, or it will
make the carpet rough. When 1
have finished one piece and COM
mence another l sew the ends to
gether and they are all ready to
wind up, SO they are sewed up as
fast as they are cut. I think it very
discouraging to have ten or twenty
pounds OF rags all in a mass, as
they are almost sure to be, to be
sewed. The cotton rags l sew and
reel into skeins before dyeing them;
the wooden ones dye in the piece.
prefer prepared warp, and always
try to get some l cannot break.
A very pretty stripe for carpets
is made by taking two contrasting,
or some bright color and white, cut
ting the rags in pieces five inches
long, and sewing the colors altern-
ately. Get the weaver to be a little
careful in weaving it and make into
clouds or steeples. 1t is very pref
ty when just woven in as it comes.
have one strip that l tied the
skeins of white rags with new I'M
bleached factory for two or three
inches, with intervals of six or seven
inches, then dyed in dark blue. 1t
is very pretty, and not much work.
To Dye Blue.-For eight pounds
of rags make strong solution OF
one pound of alum. Dip the rags
in first, then few at a time in a
small quantity of water containing
Prussian Blue, then add little
more of the blue to this water, and
in this water dip a few more rags,
and so on. Required, about eight
ounces OF Prussian Blue. This is
much better than using oxalic acid
to set the. color. 1t is cheaper, more
durable, and of a brighter color,
and the acid will injure the goods.
To Dye Xe2om.-For eight lbs.
of rags take five ounces bichromate
potash and seven ounces sugar of
lead. Dissolve the bichromate over
night in warm water; warm the
dye; dip first in sugar of lead solu-
ton; four gallons of water to each.
Dyeing Green.-Dye the rags
first blue; then yellow; or, for a
different shade, reverse.
4 DARK Tan Color.-To FIVE lbs.
of cloth, one pound japonica, eight
ounces bichromate of potash, two
tablespoonfuls Of alum. Dissolve
the japonica and alum in soft water
enough to cover the goods. Wash
the goods in suds and put them in
the dry let them stand two hours
at scalding heat, then set them
aside until the next morning with
the goods in the dye. Dissolve the
bichromate of potash in soft water
to cover the goods put them in and
let them remain an hour at scalding
heat, air them and wash in soft wa
ter suds, and dry.
Cochineal.-To one pound of yaro
stir briskly into water enough to
cover it, one ounce of cream Of tar
tar. When the heat has increased
a little add two ounces Of powdered
cochineal. Stir we'll. Add two
ounces solution of tin. When the
liquid boils put in the goods and
move it around briskly for twenty
minutes. Rinse well in cold water,