the
beauty of the colour is increased by rubbing with oil, and that pear
wood is the best to use. Another receipt says:--Make a strong infusion
of Brazil wood in stale urine or water impregnated with pearl ash, 1 oz.
to a gallon; to a gallon of either of which put 1 lb. of Brazil wood.
Let it stand for two or three days, often stirring it. Strain the
infusion, and brush over the wood boiling hot; then, while still wet,
brush over with alum water, 2 oz. to a quart of water. A less bright red
may be made with 1 oz. of dragon's blood in a pint of spirits of wine,
brushed over the wood.

Holtzapffel gives for red stains the following:--Dragon's blood, an East
Indian resin, gives a crimson with a purple tinge. Put a small quantity
in an open vessel, and add sufficient linseed oil to rather more than
cover it; it will be fit for use in a few days, when the oil may be
poured off and more added. This dissolves more readily in oil than
spirit. The colouring matter of Alkanet root, from which another red
may be obtained, is contained in the rind, so that small pieces are the
most useful. A deep red of a crimson character may be made with 1/2 oz.
of raspings of Brazil wood macerated in 3 oz. of alcohol. A wash of
logwood (see below) given with the brush, and when dry followed with a
wash of Brazil, produces a deep, full colour, and when the two are
applied in the reverse order a more brilliant colour of the same kind. A
decoction of Brazil (4 oz.) allowed to simmer for some hours in 1 quart
of water yields a rather brown-red stain. Treating light woods so
stained with nitro-muriate of tin gives a brilliant crimson of a purple
tinge.

A brown red is made from a decoction of 2 oz. of logwood dust in 1 quart
of water, or 1/2 oz. of logwood in 3 oz. of alcohol. Nitro-muriate of
tin used on it gives a deep, dusky crimson purple. The same treated with
alum solution yields a medium purple, darker and bluer than that from
Brazil.

White wood stained with Brazil and then treated with alum (4 oz.
dissolved in a quart of water) acquires a light pink tinge. Another
receipt for pink or rose red says:--1 gallon of infusion of Brazil wood,
with 2 oz. additional of pearl ash; but it is necessary to brush the
wood often with alum water. By increasing the proportion of pearl ash
the red may be made still paler, in which case make the alum water
stronger.

For purple one brushes the wood over several times with a strong
decoction of logwood an