Prepare feathers by washing and rinsing thoroughly in luke warm water;
or if old, dark, faded out colors, pass them through bleaching process
of permanganate of potash; afterwards being careful to rinse all the
acid out before entering bath. Prepare bath by diluting a small handful
of starch in about a gallon of luke warm water, enter feathers and
manipulate thoroughly between the hands for a few seconds; take out,
and add to bath a few drops of diluted safranine; re-enter feathers
and let remain in bath about one minute, or until they have assumed
a dark shade of pink; then add to bath a few drops of diluted aniline
brown and a small pinch of copperas, and enter feathers, letting them
remain a minute longer. Take feathers out, and dry in the usual way.
If a very dark shade is wanted, a few drops of diluted logwood added to
bath at the time you add the copperas will have the desired effect; or
a few drops of violet will answer in its stead. Should you find your
color too much on the drab, a few drops of safranine added to bath will
have the desired effect. Should you find that your color is entirely
too dark for your sample, rinse off the starch in cold water; pass
feathers through a solution of a half teaspoonful of oxalic acid in a
gallon of hot water for a few seconds; then rinse in hot water twice to
remove the acid, after which prepare a fresh bath as per recipe, using
more care, and keep in until desired result is obtained.