84 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



are the cause of the so-called " skin cuts," and when the 

 hides are cut to some depth tliere appear in the leather 

 what is still worse, namely the " skinholes." 



(2) After the hide has been taken off the animal, it is placed 



on a table and whatever flesh there may have remained on 

 it is scraped off with a knife (specially made for this pur- 

 pose). Care is also taken that the hide is cleared of all 

 blood, slime, and fat. 



(3) It is recommended to take the skin of the head and the legs 



off the hide (legs to be cut off' at the knees). 



It is strongly recommended that hides, before undergoing the 

 drying process, be immersed in a weak solution of poison. In Java, 

 the so-called " Hamburger skin poison " is used, specially manufac- 

 tured for this purpose. During the war this skin poison was also 

 imported from America. Directions for use are issued with the tins 

 of poison by the manufacturers. The fresh hides are salted slightly 

 and then dried. This is termed the dry-salted process. 



The Drying Process. — This is done in different ways. One firm 

 dries the hides in the sun, the other under trees or in the shade, others 

 again do the drying in an open shed, etc. The last mentioned is 

 considered the best method, because the hides do not get sunburnt 

 and are not exposed to rain. Hain and sun have harmful effect on 

 the hide, and tanners are very particular on this point. 



The Stretching of Hides. — This is best done on frames which in 

 Java are made of bamboo. The hides, when dry enough, are folded 

 lengthways (from head to tail) with flesh side out and hair inside. 

 The hides are piled on top of one another and left in well ventilated 

 place until they are thoroughly dry. 



Sorting of Hides. — Sorting of hides is done in the following 

 manner : — 



(1) Extra heavy. 



(2) Heavy. 



(3) Middling. 



(4) Extra light. 



Under no circumstances must tlie different qualities or grades 

 1, 2, 3, 4 be mixed. 



Damage to Hides. — Animals are often branded, once or more, on 

 the most valuable parts of the skin. The brandmarks or rather burnt 

 patches turn into holes when tanning is in process; this happens also 

 to the skins of animals cut by barbed wire, etc. 



Loss through Bad Flaying. — In this connection it is interesting 

 to note that a prominent member of the Farmers' Federation of the 

 United Kingdom, Mr. Densham, who visited South Africa at the 

 end of 1919, and studied at first hand the local leather industry, 

 lays stress on the need for the improvement of South African hides. 

 He calculated that in the Rand and Pretoria districts alone a sum of 

 at least £150,000 per annum is being lost owing to bad flaying. His 

 experience showed that bad flaying made our hides unsuitable for 

 sole leather, and that during the war the Argentine hide received 

 preference on this account when purchases where made for military 

 purposes. Mr. Densham advocates the formation of an association, 

 such as the one now operating in England, which arranges at various 

 places demonstrations on the best methods of flaying. 



