Brown of different shades is imparted to cotton and linen, by impregnating them with a mixed mordant of acetates of alumina and iron, and then dyeing them up, either with madder alone, or with madder and fustic. When the aluminous mordant predominates, the madder gives an amaranth tint. For horse-chesnut brown, the cotton must be galled, plunged into a black bath, then into a bath of sulphate of copper, next dyed up in a decoction of fustic, wrung out, passed through a strong madder bath, then through the sulphate of copper solution, and finished with a soap boil. Different shades of cinnamon are obtained, when cottons first dyed up with madder get an olive cast with iron liquor in a fustic bath.
These cinnamon and mordoré shades are also produced by dyeing them first in a bath of weld and verdigris, passing them through a solution of sulphate of iron, wringing and drying them; next putting them through a bath containing 1 pound of galls for 10 pounds of stuff, again drying, next aluming, and maddering. They must be brightened by a boil in soap water.
A superior brown is produced by like means upon cotton goods, which have undergone the oiling process of the Turkey red dye. Such stuffs must be galled, mordanted with alum (see [Madder]), sulphate of iron, and acetate of lead (equal to 2⁄3 of the alum); after washing and drying, dyed in a madder bath, and cleared with a soap boil. The tint of brown varies with the proportion of alum and sulphate of iron.
We perceive from these examples, in how many ways the browning of dyes may be modified, upon what principles they are founded, and how we have it in our power to turn the shade more or less towards red, black, yellow, blue, &c.
Brown may be produced by direct dyes. The decoction of oak bark dyes wool a fast brown of different shades, according to the concentration of the bath. The colour is more lively with the addition of alum.
The decoction of bastard marjoram (Origanum vulgare) dyes cotton and linen a reddish brown, with acetate of alumina. Wool takes from it a dark brown.
The bark of the mangrove tree (Rizophora mangle) affords to wool boiled with alum and tartar a fine red brown colour, which, with the addition of sulphate of iron, passes into a fast chocolate.
The Bablah, the pods of the East Indian Mimosa cineraria, and the African Mimosa nilotica, gives cotton a brown with acetate or sulphate of copper.
The root of the white sea rose (Nymphæa alba) gives to cotton and wool beautiful shades of brown. A mordant of sulphate of iron and zinc is first given, and then the wool is turned through the decoction of the root, till the wished-for shade is obtained. The cotton must be mordanted with a mixture of the acetates of iron and zinc.