The Tanning and Beaying of Skins. 55 



THE TANNING AND BRAYING OF SKINS AND 

 THE MANUFACTURE OF RAW-HIDE LEATHER 

 AND RIEMS. 



My W. ¥. ScHLUPP, B.Sc, F.E.S., Entomoloo'ist, and G. C. 

 MACKINNON, Field Instructor in Practical Agriculture, School of 

 Agriculture and Experiment Station, Potchefstrooni, Transvaal. 



The skins from the thousands of wild animals, large and small, that 

 are killed each year in South Africa constitute, when taken in the 

 aggregate, an agricultural item of no mean value. 



The pelts of practically all animals are useful for one purpose or 

 another — stoles, muffs, collars, coats, karosses, rug^s, etc., l)eing among 

 the articles prepared from them. The most valualile skins are some- 

 times handed over to furriers hy people living close to large towns. 

 People living in remote districts often find this inconvenient; many 

 others do not care to pay the difference in cost between the raw skin 

 and the finished product. 



The home-tanning and braying of skins is not a very intricate 

 matter — it requires merely a little care and a certain amount of work. 

 Farmers often make their own karosses and rugs, and, for that matter, 

 occasionally very creditable stoles and muffs are produced on the 

 farm. 



Natives are generally quite adept at braying^ skins by the simple 

 method used by all aboriginals, viz., by stretching, scraping, twisting, 

 and rubbing the hide, together with the use of fat. This method 

 often produces a good article ; nevertheless, the employment of a good 

 curing mixture or solution minimizes the chance of failure, and is 

 considered to g^ive a better finished product, there being less danger 

 of the hair being lost. It should be borne in mind, however, that the 

 use of such artificial aids does not eliminate the necessity for good 

 hand-work; the latter is equal in importance to tlie tanning mixturt; 

 used. 



Skinning Small Animals. 



In skinning a snmll animal, proceed as follows: — From each 

 hind foot make a cut along the inside of the leg to the anus, and from 

 there along the underside of the tail. Cut only the skin, not the 

 muscles. Avoid rupturing* the scent-glands, which, when present, are 

 located near the anus. 



Skin the hind legs ; the claws may be left attached to the hide if 

 desired. jNText skin the tail. The skin may be si)lit for a short 

 distance along the tail, the rest worked loose with the fingers, and 

 the tail vertebrae pulled out without splitting the lemainder of the 

 tail-skin. However, for the beginner at least, it is better to split the 

 skin nearly to the end of the tail, as it often happens that, with the 

 unsplit skin, the hair falls out, especially near the end. This is 

 probably due larg-ely to the fact that it is difficult to dry and cure 

 properly the unsplit tail, xlfter the tail has been skinned, suspend 

 the animal by its liind legs and pull the skin down over the body 

 (inside out), using* the fingers as much as possible and avoiding the 

 use of the knife except when necessary. 



