Evening star., 1917-03-25
Dyes of the Old@m Time
Brought Into Use Again

6NHE natural dyes, as distinguished
from the chemically made dyes,
and especially those dyes derived
from coal tar, have come again into ex-
tensive use because of the war. the usual
supply of German-made coal-tar dyes
being cut off 1t seems to be particular
ly true among the fabric dyers in the
entente countries that there has been
resumption of the practice of using nat
ural dyestuffs.
The return of the dyes which were in
commercial use before the coal-tar dyes
conquered and practically monopolized
the dye market is widely commented
upon by various European trade publica-
tions Though great strides have. with
out doubt, been made in the production
of coal-tar dyes in Great Britain, as
well as in the United States, there is
manifest belief among dyers that the
coal-tar products may not again come
into such use as wholly to exclude the
natural, and especially the vegetable.
dyes that have served the world for
many centuries. Those dyes were al
ways satisfactory, but the chemical dyes
were cheaper and the required tnts and
s-"des could be reproduced with an ac-
curacy which, it is said. was not always
possible with the natural dyes, different
patches of these dyes not always pro-
manded.
The case Of indigo is one of interest
Most. of the chemical product sold as syn
thetic indigo is not Identical with natural
indigo but is claimed by the indigo peo-
ple to be an inferior substitute. one Oh
the advocates of indigo has said that the
best blues in dyeing are and have always
been obtained by means of natural indigo
The stoppage of supplies of synthetic in
digo has given a tremendous impetus to
indigo production in India and South
America. Great improvements in meth
ods of cultivation and preparation have
been made. and a spokesman for the IN
digo interests has said that if the plant
ers will cooperate in the manufacturing
and marketing of the product there is a
good prospect of natural indigo compel
ing successfully in future with the syn
tnetic dye.
When the producers of synthetic dyes
began to seek control of the markets of
the world they did it with an organiza-
ton of effort which the growers and
makers of the natural dyestuffs could not
meet but against which it is now alleged
they are preparing to make resistance
They mean to retain. if possible. part
of the business which has come to them
because Of the war.
The world is still bountifully supplied
with natural dyestuffs and about these
there is no question of excellence. The
cochineal industry declined almost to the
point of extinction in competition with
those coal-tar reds that are known to the
dye trade as Kongo red, brilliant Kongo
red Titan pink, ST Denis red. Columbia
red kongo rubine. Columbia scarlet, Dom
COLA red geranine, diamine rose, benZO
scarlet, erica, delta-purpurine and a dozen
others.
The cochineal of commerce is a dried
scale insect which lives upon many
forms of the cactus plant and has
hitherto been exported in large guam
titles from Mexico. The propagation
of these little insects was an important
industry before the onrush of the coal
tar competition and it is even said now
that no entirely satisfactory substitute
has been found for the dye produced
by this insect. The principal use Of
cochineal is in dyeing crimson and
scarlet on wool. though purple dye
was also produced with it. and also
some shades in grays and states.
Some of the old red dyes We're OBJ
tained from the so-called soluble red
woods, as for examples. peachwood.
saponwood and 1inawood. all of them
being species of that wood which is
called Caesapinia. which grows in the
East Indies and many parts of South
and Central America. From these woods
the dyers obtained dark red. bright red,
claret brown and dark slate shades
There were also red dyes generally
used in dyeing wool and producing nu-
merous shades of brown which We're
obtained from, the so-calied insoiuoie
red woods, which were various species
of trees growing in the interior of
west Africa. these woods being known
to the dyers' guild as camwood. bar
wood and sanderwood-
The older dyemakers and certain of
the dyemakers of the present time OBJ
tanned many shades of yellow from the
inner bark of an oak tree which grows
in the United States. and which is
called in the trade quercitron bark.
From this bark the dyemakers ex-
tracted another dye which they called
"dayine" and from which they pro-
duced certain shades of yellow and
orange Fustic was one of the dyes
which was formerly a main reliance of
the dyemakers in producing certain
yellows. especially shades called olive
yellow and old gold. This coloring mat
ter is extracted from that species OF
the mulberry tree which long ago
came to be called the "dyer's mulberry.
and which grows plentifully in the
West Indies and especially in Cuba and
Jamaica.
Lozwood was one of the standard
dyes of the household. as well as OF the
dyer's craft, and nearly every man and
woman today can recall the hne bfues
and puppies produced by logwood. 1t
nf ko.