The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-03-28

Dyeing and Coloring Natural Flowers
(" Painting the lilly" is generally consid-
cred about the acme Of useless performan-
ces, but correspondent Of the Gardea in
the following lines tells US how to do Il.
The idea, Of course, Is not to improve on
Natures handiwOrk, but simply to prepare
the flowers so that they win keep for an
indefinite length Of time, and, when ar
ranged in bouquets, form handsome ornz-
men,s. The process, il win be seen, may
also be applied to grasses and mosses with
very good effect
Dyeing is especially used for the red
aerrdnthen'am annaans H. pi, red asters,
and all kinds Of ornamental grasses. Mix
ten parts of fresh water with one part Of
good nitric acid, plunge the flowers in,
shake of the liquid, and hang them up to
dry. In this way xerranthemums, which
should be cut when entirely open, will ac-
quire beautiful bright rcd tint; while
grasses Ouly become little pale red on the
tops, but will keep afterwards for many
years, and may, If needed, be colored 9TH
erwise at any time. Asters generally, when
treated in this way, are not 50 fine as II
dried in sand, or smoked with birthstone.
To color flowers and grasses blue, violet,
red, scarlet, and orange, use the different
kinds of aniline; for yellow use picric acid,
and for bright scarlet use borax. The an
iline dye should be dissolved in alcohol
before it is Ct for use, in which condition
ii should be kept in well closed bottles un-
til it is required. It may alsobe purchas-
ed in dissolved condition Of any respect
able chemist. To color by means Of aniline,
take porcelain or any other well glazed
vessel, pour in some boiling water, and add
as much dissolved aniline as win nicely
color the water. According to the guam
tity Of aniline used, the color Of the how-
ers viii become more or less bright. AZ
ter the water has cooled little, plunge in
the flowers or grasses, and keep them in
till they are nicely eoiored then rinse in
cold water, shake of the liquid, aud hang
them up in the open air to dry. To obtain
fine blue, take aniIine bieH de Eaa, boil
the color with the water for Eve minutes,
and then add q few drops Of sulphuric ac-
id before using. For violet, use one part
aniline violet and one part Of aniline Jlea
de lian; for red, aniline fuchsin for scar
let, one part Of aniline fuchsin and one Of
aniline violet, for orange, anilinc dor
aage for lemon color, picric acid, which
should be dissolved in boiling water and
then thinned with little warm water.
Dip in the flowers, but do not drain of the
liquid. All kinds of ornamental grasses
can thus be colored, especially stipa pss-
aata and apsmobium aidtnm, white xer-
ranthemums, and most other everlasting
flowers. Intmortslles, however, as well as
the other kinds Of helichrysums, must be
treated differently their natural yellow
color must first be extracted by dipping
them in boiling soap water, made with Ital-
ian soap, and afterwards dried in an airy,
shady place. The flowers genenlly be-
come closed when thus treated, and should
be placed near an oven and subjected to
the influence Of a dry heat, when they win
soon reopen. This is very important IL
they are intended to be colored If not
they will remain fne pure white immor-
tclles. Most immortelles, however, are
colored bright scarlet by means Of borax,
which gives a beautiful color; but Ii does
not keep well, and becomes gradually paler
For this purpose, dissolve as much borax
in boiling water as win color it nicely !;
when cool, dip the flowers, but do not al.
low them to remain in after they have
taken the color; If kept in too long, they
viii not again open their flowers. The
chief point in every mode Of coloring inn
mortelles is TO place them first in a dry,
warm atmosphere, where they win open
their flowers well; and, after coloring, they
should again be exposed TO heat, by which
means they will nearly always reopen them.
Very nice looking immortelles are also
produced by coloring oaly the centre Of
each flower scarlet, which is done very
rapidly with borax, by means Of small
pencil or a thin wooden splinter, which is
dipped into the color and afterwards ap-
piled to the centre. This is generally
done BY little children In those establish
ments in Germany and France which sup
ply the trade with everlasting flowers.
The following Is very cheap and very
good recipe to color ornamental grass and
moss beautiful green: IL dark green is
required, take two parts Of boiling water,
one ounce Of alum, and half an ounce of
dissolved indigo carmine; plunge the moss
or grass into the mixture, shake OF the
liquid, and dry the grass or moss in an
airy, shady place. In the winter, how
ever they should be dried by means Of
fire heat. If light green is required,
add to the above mixture more or less pic
ric acid, according as more or less light
shade is required.
SIMPLE TMBER PREsERvArrvE.-To To
render posts or timber, placed in the
ground, practically iinpervious 70 moisture,
and for long time prevent decay, the fol-
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