M. TECHNOLOGY. 507 



united in a mixing-machine. In general, for sole leather, the 

 composition consists of twenty-five parts of solid rubber with 

 sixty-seven parts of the homogeneous mass of leather, and 

 the whole pressed in moulds or rolled, after which it can be 

 manipulated so as to be brought into any desired form. 18 

 A.August 11,1876,560. 



A NEW INDUSTRY. 



Amono: the novelties exhibited at the late fair of the 

 American Institute w^ere certain new products obtained from 

 fir and pine tree leaves, which may ultimately set on foot a 

 new industry. The following account of the invention will 

 be found of interest: Mr. Charles Fulton has devised a proc- 

 ess of treatinsr the needles or acicular leaves of the fir and 

 pine with certain chemical solvents, w^hich results in the pro- 

 duction of a substance resembling cotton, or perhaps more 

 nearly wool, and having a dark, greenish-brown color. It is 

 prepared of four qualities, adapted respectively for stuffing 

 mattresses, pillows, etc., and for w^eaving. For the latter 

 purpose, the fibres of the material are separated and treated 

 in machines similar to fulling-mills. Another product of 

 the invention is an excellent thread, which can be woven 

 alone, or mixed with wool, cotton, silk, or other fibres. At 

 the exhibition w^ere samples of cloth, of a very fine texture, 

 made from this thread. It is described as being soft and 

 pliable, resembling a fair quality of flannel. Commenting 

 upon this invention, our informant remarks that there is an 

 enormous amount of raw material for this manufixcture in 

 the country, at present useless, which can be obtained sim- 

 ply at the cost of transportation, and which can thus be 

 made available both for textile and paper industries. 6 D, 

 XXXIIL, 256. 



NEW SUBSTITUTE FOR BARK IN TANNING. 



The Western tannin plant (Polygonum amphibium), which 

 grows luxuriantly in the Missouri River Valley, seems des- 

 tined to replace oak-bark in tanning. It contains eighteen 

 per cent, of tannin, while the best bark contains but twelve 

 per cent., and large establishments employing it in Chicago 

 find that one third more leather can be obtained with it than 

 with a like quantity of bark. The process of tanning with 



