Almost any odd shades of color can be used without extracting colors,
but if dirty or greasy, it is always best to wash thoroughly and rinse.
Take your old logwood bath that has been used for black and other
colors, or else boil a fresh bath of the same proportions, about a
pound to the gallon. When at boiling temperature add thereto a half
cupful of extract of archil, first removing the grounds of logwood from
the bath; then enter your feathers and let them remain in the bath
about four or five minutes; take them out and rinse thoroughly in cold
water, and prepare a bath of one-half ounce of bichromate of potash to
a gallon of boiling water, and thoroughly dissolve potash; after which
pass your goods through for a few seconds only, and take out and rinse
twice in cold water; dilute a small handful of starch in clean cold
water, pass feathers through and dry.
Should a very dark shade be required, allow your feathers to remain
in bichromate of potash bath a few seconds longer; take out and dry.
Should you find your color too dark for sample, it is only necessary to
add to your starch bath a few drops of sulphuric acid, and add a small
quantity of hot water to increase temperature a few degrees, and pass
feathers through. This bath, same as the garnet, can be used again, and
improves with age if kept in a clean place. If you have an old garnet
bath on hand, it will answer for maroon by bringing to a boil and
adding about a teaspoonful more extract of archil to it.
[Illustration: STONE--page 73.]
[Illustration: COFFEE--page 79.]
[Illustration: BOTTLE GREEN--page 43.]
[Illustration: OLIVE BROWN--page 81.]