The New International Encyclopædia/Turkey Red

TURKEY RED. A name applied to one of the most durable and beautiful colors which have been produced on cotton. The process of dyeing cotton Turkey red is said to have been practiced in India from time immemorial; at present, the main seat of the industry is in the neighborhood of Glasgow. The operations are long and tedious, and their effect could scarcely be explained theoretically. Thus no reason could be given for the part of the process which consists in soaking the cloth in olive oil for a considerable length of time; yet this is well known to be one of the most essential operations in the dyeing process and is believed to be the cause of the rich appearance of the dye. Turkey red is one of the colors of alizarin which can be obtained either from madder (Rubia tinctorum) or by an artificial process of manufacture from coal-tar. See Alizarin.