UTILIZATION OF TIIK SKINS OF AQUATIO ANIMALS. '^45 



the ulxlonuMi and tho parts from the logs are I'oklod oNcr iicutly and 

 the entire .skin i-olled up in a conii)act ])undle and placed in adiT,cooI 

 place. Many hides spoil by reason of insufiicient or inditti^rent saltint^, 

 the o-rain side heconiinu- so daniaoed that at best the}' are suitable oidj" 

 for second-class leather. After thorough curing, the salted hides are 

 plac(>d in boxes, barrels, or bags, and are bartered at the neighboring 

 trading store, whence they are duly shipped to the tanneries. 



The price received b}' the hunters for alligator hides varies from 15 

 cents to $2 each, according to the length and condition of the skin, 

 and averages probably about 90 cents. Prime hides 5 feet long, with 

 no cuts, scale slips, or other defects, are worth about 95 cents each, in 

 trade, when the hunter sells them at the country stores, and about 

 $1.10, cash, at the tanneries. Those measuring 7 feet are worth $1.55; 

 6 feet, $1.12; -i feet, 52 cents, and 3 feet, 25 cents. Little demand 

 exists for those un&ler 3 feet in length. 



TANNING ALLIGATOR HIDES. 



The principal tanneries in the United States handling alligator hides 

 are situated at Newark, N. J., and New York City, N. Y. Some hides 

 are also prepared in New Orleans, Jacksonville, and in one or two of 

 the tanneries in Massachusetts. Many are also exported to German}^ 

 and to England and there tanned. Alligator hides of all lengths, 

 from 2 feet up, are used, but those most in demand are about 7 feet 

 long. Hides over 10 feet in length are not much used, owing not only 

 to their scarcit}^ but to the hardness of the cuticular plates, making 

 them difficult to tan properly and almost valueless for leather purposes, 

 although some over 17 feet long have been prepared. 



Formerly only the skin from the underpart and the sides of the 

 animal was used, that from the back being so heavily armored with 

 tough, horny plates and shields as to be of little value, except in case 

 of very small hides. During recent years, however, a demand has 

 existed for "horn'' alligator, i. e., leather from the back of the ani- 

 mal, and this demand has been supplied by the importations from 

 Mexico and Central America, a very large percentage of which are 

 cut down the abdomen so as to preserve the back in one piece. The 

 Louisiana and Florida skins are not cut "" horn back " because they 

 are not so flexible on the back as the Mexican. 



On receipt at the tannery the hides are assorted according to their 

 size, the small, medium, and large being treated separately on account 

 of the difference in texture. With plenty of salt they are placed in a 

 suitable storage room, whence they may be removed as required. 



In the process of preparing for tanning, the skins are first immersed 

 in vats of clear water, the sniallei' ones remaining about two dnja and 

 the larger ones six days, accoi-ding to the condition of the membrane. 

 When sufficiently^ soaked they are immersed in a solution of lime, 

 which should not Ije so strong as for depilating, and there they remain 



