564 



CONSERVATION 



ue in the 1907 consumption of tan 

 bark of $281,846. is noted, as compared 

 with 1906; while the total production 

 of bark fell off 156,941 cords, or 11.4 

 per cent, decrease from 1906. A de- 

 crease in value and an increase in cost, 

 delivered to the tanneries, etc., is also 

 noted, while the use of extracts and 

 chemicals in tanning is noted, 35510,- 

 130 pounds more of such extracts and 

 chemicals being used in 1907 than in 

 1906. A summary of 'the Census Bu- 

 reau's advance outline follows : 



In point of value, the reported consump- 

 tion of these commodities in the tanneries 

 of the United States in 1907 was slightly 

 less than the reported consumption in 1906, 

 the decrease being from $21,487,393 to 

 $21,205,547, a loss of $281,846, or 1.3 per 

 cent. The total quantity of tan bark con- 

 sumed decreased from 1,371,342 cords to 

 1,214,401 cords, a loss of 156,941 cords, or 

 ir.4 per cent. The value of tan bark de- 

 creased from $12,774,071 to $11,555,874, a 

 loss of $1,218,197, or 9.5 per cent., while the 

 average cost per cord delivered at the tan- 

 nery advanced between the two years from 

 $9.32 to $9.52, a gain of $0.20, or 2.1 per 

 cent. 1 he total consumption of extracts 

 was substantially larger in 1907 than in the 

 preceding year, the increase being from 

 329,389,405 pounds to 364,899,535 pounds, a 

 gam of 35,510,130 pounds, or 9.7 per cent, 

 hi total value this material advanced from 

 $8,713,322 to $9,649,673. a gain of $936,351, or 

 0.7 per cent. 



The two general movements in the tanning 

 mdustry which have characterized its devel- 

 opment during recent years are clearly dis- 

 closed by the figures. The growing scarcity 

 of barks and native extracts and, in a meas- 

 ure as a result of this, the increasing use 

 of chemicals as tanning materials, is evident 

 from the fact that the total outlay for barks 

 and native extracts was smaller in 1907 than 

 in 1906, although as a rule the average cost 

 per unit of these commodities increased. 

 That the supplanting of barks by extracts 

 continues at a rapid rate, and that this is 

 mcidentally eflfecting a change in the indus- 

 try with respect to its location and the size 

 of the average plant is apparent. The 

 greater ease and economy with which ex- 

 tracts can be transported as compared with 

 the handling of barks is resulting in a ten- 

 dency to locate the tannery more with re- 

 gard to an advantageous marketing of prod- 

 ucts and less, with regard to the source of 

 materials. A number of small plants report- 

 mg in 1906, and using bark exclusivelv, have 

 either closed down permanently or removed 

 from the more remote districts where sup- 

 plies of bark were available to more ad- 

 vantageous shipping points, and substituted 



extracts or chemicals for barks as the prin- 

 cipal tanning materials. This trend of the 

 industry is indicated in the decreased num- 

 ber of establishments reporting in the later 

 year, the statistics for that period covering 

 583 plants, while those for 1906 covered 627 

 active tanneries. Of the total number of 

 plants reporting in the later year, 121 used 

 tan bark exclusively, 122 extracts exclu- 

 sively, and the remaining 340 both barks 

 and extracts, as tanning materials. As in 

 the preceding year, hemlock bark was used 

 more extensively than any other, the con- 

 .'umption in 1907 amounting to 815,840 cords, 

 and constituting sixty-seven per cent, of 

 the total of all barks. Oak bark ranked 

 next to hemlock, with 349.594 cords, while 

 chestnut and other kinds were consumed in 

 minor and relatively unimportant quantities. 

 The leading extract in both years in point 

 of consumption was quebracho, and accord- 

 ing to the reports the consumption of this 

 material increased from 133,508,306 pounds 

 m 1906 to 145,324,677 pounds in 1907, a gain 

 of 11,816,371 pounds, or 8.84 per cent. 

 Chestnut extract ranked second in both years 

 and increased from 128,535,018 pounds to 

 134,819,100 pounds, a gain of 6,284,082 

 pounds, or 4.7 per cent. These two extracts 

 combined formed 79.6 per cent, of the total 

 of this class of materials in 1906, arid 76.8 

 per cent, in 1907, while quebracho extract 

 alone formed substantially the same per- 

 centage of the total in both years, namely, 

 39-8 per cent, in 1907 and 40.5 per cent, in 

 1906. A slight decrease is noted in the 

 average cost per pound of quebracho extract 

 HI 1907, while a small advance was made 

 in that of chestnut extract. The consump- 

 tion of hemlock extract increased from 

 34.405,978 pounds to 40,133,524 pounds, a 

 gain of 5,727,546 pounds, or 14.3 per cent., 

 with little change in the average cost per 

 pound. The quantity of oak extract con- 

 sumed was practically the same in the two 

 \ears, being 30,192.151 pounds in 1906 and 

 30,830,291 pounds in 1907, while the average 

 cost per pound advanced slightly, the in- 

 crease being from $0.02 to $0,021. 



«? Vs' «< 



Information Desired 



I I NDER date of August 27 the 

 ^ United States Forest Service sent 

 out the following letter, requesting de- 

 tailed information along certain lines, 

 the Service having been requested to 

 undertake the investigation by the Na- 

 tional Conservation Commission re- 

 cently appointed by President Roose- 

 velt. The letter in full is printed here- 

 with, and members of The Ainerican 

 Forestry Association, as well as all other 

 readers of Coxservatiox, are re- 



