WATTLE BARK. 51t 
PROFIT TO BE DERIVED FROM THE SYSTEMATIC CULTIVATION OF WATTLES, 
Receipts derivable from a wattle plantation ef, say, 100 acres, planted in the manner proposed. 
Each acre planted with watiles, 10 feet apart, would carry 400 trees; at 
the end of the fifth year trees would yield, say, 56 pounds matured bark ; 
stripping only every third tree, 333 tons would be obtained from 100 
acres; this at £4 per ton would give for first stripping..-.-.....-....-. £1, 332 00 
In the sixth or following year a similar number of trees would be stripped, 
the bark having increased in weight, say, 14 pounds; the increased yield 
of second stripping would, therefore, be 400 tons, at £4 per ton, making. 1,600 00 
In the seventh year the remaining trees would be stripped, from which a 
still greater increase would be obtained, say, 480 tons, at £4, making... 1,920 00 
The aggregate yield of bark during the first eight years would he 1,215tons. 4,852 00 
Estimate of expenditure on a watile plantation of 100 acres during eight years. 
Rent of 100 acres for eight years at the rate of 6s. per acre per annum...-. £240 00 
Plawing 100 acres in drills 10 feet apart. ...... 2.2... .---00 eoseee ee es -- 25 00 
Sowing wattles and actual cultivation, including cost of seed,......----. 37 10 
Supervision for eight years, nominal, say £50 per annum ...-.....-....-- 80 00 
Pruning the trees, taking off useless wood, &c. (only necessary for two 
years), 10s. per acre .----- ..sees cenn miei nnicane we dacetae aa wee aies Ae tee 50 00 
dnesdanial and UNLOrEseen EXPENSES vac- ace eve ess ascesee recess scleeeents 27 10 
Interest on the whole amount expended during the eight years..-.--..... 240 00 
Meimaleosl Of SiTipping and Carving * 2... c2n. coco enne ccs cones o> onenic-, ) 4, Hto OD 
2,215 00 
Profit balance, exclusive of improvements or supplementary sowingst ... £2,637 60 
In the United States there is a vast annual consumption of tanning 
materials, the principal supplies, as will be seen below, being drawn from 
home resources. It does not appear, however, that any measures have 
been taken to meet this demand by artificial reproduction. 
Mr. Isaac H. Bailey, of New York, editor and proprietor of the Shoe 
and Leather Reporter, and a gentleman of much experience in all things 
relating to the manufacture of leather, in reply to a request of the Com- 
missioner of Agriculture that he would furnish him with some informa- 
tion concerning the consumption of tanning materials in the United 
States and the principal countries of the world, said: 
The tanners of the United States use mostly hemlock and oak bark, which averages 
to cost, say, $5 for hemlock and $9 for oak per cord (2,240 pounds, or one ton, equal in 
weight to the cord). We estimate they use 1,225,000 cords annually, two-thirds of it 
being hemlock bark. The hemlock supply comes from Eastern Maine, Northern New 
York, Northwestern Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin; oak bark from the Alle- 
ghany, Cumberland, and Blue Ridge ranges of mountains, Southern Kentucky, Ten- 
nesse, Northern Georgia, and Alabama. 
There are also used here in tanning light leathers about 600 tons gambier and eutch, 
worth $80 per ton; 10,000 to 12,000 tons domestic sumac, worth $45 per ton, and 8,000 
tons Sicily sumae worth $85 per ton. 
This is the yearly consumption for this country. Oak and hemlock bark extract is 
also made and used here, but much of it goes to Europe. Tanners here use about 
$200,000 worth yearly. 
In Canada there is a great deal of hemlock bark grown and used. It is largely 
made into extract, and sold to Europe; but about 600,000 hides are tanned there, re- 
quiring probably some 60,000 cords of bark for doing the work. 
The time must be very remote when our tanning material will be exhausted, Oak 
* The cost of stripping would not exceed 15s. per ton on accouni of the facilities pre- 
sented by the regularity of the trees, while carting would represent another 10s, per 
ton. These combined charges would be 25s. per ton, and on 1,215 tons would be 
£1,515, leaving a clear profit on the 100 acres (after allowing for the primary expendi- 
ture) of £2,637. 
t In addition to the bark taken off the land a fresh supply would be available in two 
seasons afterward, as the board recommends that every fresh tree stripped should be 
replaced by another sowing. All improvements effected may be calculated as addi- 
tional profit. 
