bran at the bottom, adding afterwards the remainder of the composition, grounds and all. After stirring and raking for some time, the mixture is left to cool till it will bear the hand in it, when a little heat is added to keep it in this state, and so continued till it begins to turn green, which is easily known by trying it with a little silk. When the green begins to appear it should be stirred with the rake, then suffered to stand till the brown and coppery scum which rises upon the surface shews that the vat is come to; or, in other words, the preparation of this part of the process is complete. But as it is necessary to be very certain of this, the scum should be well examined; and if, when blown aside, a fresh scum is immediately formed it is as it ought to be. In this state it is to remain for three or four hours, when a new composition is thus made:— Put as much water as is requisite to fill the vat into a copper, boiling it with two pounds of pearl-ashes and four ounces of madder as at first. This new liquor is to be poured into the vat, raked and mixed, and being left to stand for four hours it is then ready for dyeing. When a vat or vats are set for _green_, double the quantity of madder must be added. (See Chap. VI.) The size of the vat for the above quantity of indigo, should be about five feet deep, two feet or two feet and a half in diameter at the top, and one foot and a half or two feet in diameter at the bottom: the form of an inverted frustum of a cone; or of a sugar loaf inverted, with the pointed top cut off. In order to produce different shades of blue, the silk intended for the darkest, should be first dipped in the fresh vat and so on to the lightest; as the vat weakens the silk should be kept in longer, till the vat, being exhausted, serves only for the lightest shades. When it begins not only to be weak but dull, it is then necessary to feed the vat with the following composition: Take of the decoction of pearl-ash with indigo one pound; of madder, two ounces; and a handful of washed bran; boil them together for a quarter of an hour, either in water or a portion of the same vat if yet sufficiently full to afford it; after this mixture is added, it should be well raked and suffered to rest two or three hours, more or less, before the dyeing is resumed. For the finest blues, however, a fresh vat is the best; and if only pale blues are required, a vat set on purpose with less indigo will answer better than a strong vat which has been weakened, because though weak it will give more vivid colours. _Another_ BLUE _vat for silk._ Take fifty pounds of good indigo in fine powder; fifty pounds of fresh slacked stone lime; one hundred pounds of sulphate of iron; and five pounds or more of pearl-ashes. Stir often for three or four days till there is a fine copper-colour scum on the top of the liquor in the vat. The vat is of course to be set with water in the usual way.