512 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 
trees reproduce themselves; hemlock do not. Possibly, hemlock might give out after 
another century of tanning, The sumac crop we shail always have. 
Statistics of foreign tanning materials are not so easily obtained. In South America 
oak bark and the wood of the quebracho tree are used intanning. In Valdivia, Chih, 
there are about twenty tanners who get out 150,000 sides of leather, mostly sole, 
yearly, using about 15,000 cords of bark. This Valdivi ia oak gives a dark color to the 
leather, and it resembles hemlock tannage. Tanninginother portions of South America 
islimited. The inhabitants get most of their leather and boots and shoes from Europe. 
In Australia, wattle or mimosa bark is used for tanning. It costs there $25 per ton. 
Great Britain tans lar gely for other European nations, as well as for her own re- 
eee The tanners there employ a variety of materials in their work. They 
used 22,524 tons of gambier, 28,308 tons of valonia, and 26,000 tons of myrabolams. 
Of bark for tanning and dyeing purposes they imported 29, 091 tons. The prices at 
date (February, 187 ‘9) of these per ton are: Valonia, $75; gambier, $85 ; myrabolams, 
$30; English bark, $30; and Dutch and German, $25. 
French tanners use almost exclusively oak bark. They consume not far from 
500,000 cords annually, most of which is produced in France and Spain, and costs 
about $32 per cord. 
German tanners use oak bark chiefly, which they get in their own country or from 
Austria. It is worth $25 to $30 there. ~The leather they tan is all used at home. 
They export none. 
Austria also tans largely, using oak-bark, worth about as above. The leather made 
is used in shoes and other goods ‘for home use and export. 
Gambier is the strongest ‘tanning agent and the most widely used, but in connection 
with other things. It is used almost exclusively in Asia, the East Indies, and parts 
of Africa. 
The tanning materials in general use by the principal nations of the 
world are given in the following table, in which is stated the percents 
of tannin contained i in each: 
Bg 
£3 
Substances. 5 | Authority. 
Be 
Ay ° 
Oldioak wihiteinner Palkeecs=-- ce a-s5--4==se= 5 Ree eens 21.0 | Cadet de Gassincourt. 
es te sss Shed. Bee so0S se ao oSeEseess sa OS OU IOS5e 14.2 | Davy. 
Young oak, white inner bark...-........--.-----.---------.----. 15.2 Do. 
Young oak, coloredion Middle baAEK ope - a5 eres ease = le Ere = 4.0 Do. 
Woung oak, entire bark --.--------------+----2---2------2-----== 6.0 | Davy and Geiger. 
Young oak, SpLinC-CU bNDdic ease eee aes eee eee eee - 22.0 Do. 
Oak kermes, Dailcvot TOOE Mee tee ae ies tea ane Bat) Bg WOR Lye Br BN 8.9 Do. 
| ( William W. McMurtrie. 
Bark of red oak (Quercus rubra) from Canton, Ill .--...---.-.--- Droo } Department ot Agriculture, 
1876. 
Bark of white oak (Quercus alba) from Canton, Il .-..-...------ 7.85 Do. 
Bark of Quercus coccinea from Canton, Il........-..-.----.----- 7.78 Do. 
Bark of Quercus macrocarpa from Canton, WM 2. eee ees Te Sd Do. 
Bark of hemlock (Abies canadensis) from Van Ettenville,N.Y-..| 9.5 Do. 
Bark or hemlock: =o. cose sees jest ass selec senna econ eee 13.92 | Mulligan and Downirg. 
Crushed Quercitron bark (Quereus niger) from Winchester, Va..| 6.47 | William W. MeMurtrie. 
(CRUG g - HESS Sea ROE See seo aROc Do a ob ae adnan cheese oA sa orso boot 47.7 | Cooper. 
(Gauls Woe behy WSasese cease cis ones sone opescisndasodessess5e4es4e 55.0 | Davy. 
CarechumBeneal: i eremttam -eermcee caer sa sere = meh sicieeain en 44.0 Do. 
GarechusBompay. lichtcoloris-ces-s-sseees cee e esate smears 26.32 | Mulligan. 
Catechul con dark brow Colon an ase sae fasta oe Saem neta inisfamiela 46. 88 Do. 
Gambier or terra japonica. -...-.----- See opera caades pebosaonstons 44,88 | Esenbeik. 
Galles vale pom iercess sese set essen eee eee eee err =a eeirae a emistcinr 65. 88 | Guibourt. 
(GSN) (Claes) = aad SS Se ces dos osse 6 aor sac n ae SoS CO ORE cane tae 69.0 | Bley. 
GalisSistrian te eee aa ase comes See ce oe wee ateemsececwion lances 24.0 | Roder. 
WVivraibo ams eee sae = eee reine cine seen = ae lee =e te ete 20.91 | Mulligan and Downing. 
Sumactrom (Sicily: cases. see naam Sec ae eee ese eee eee be cinaaae = 16.20 | Davy. 
Sumacurom @arolingisso.gscen esse seacescepin = see ae eee aeae 5.0 | Cadet de Gassincourt. 
Samae drom VaroIniaee ss eee e na ela eae eee eran 10.0 
DDO ee cee Mee tercics Sawa  e Eco eee he Sennen ee te eee erase ee 19350 Ge ‘Maller 
Samacnromyralerm own. eect ee eee ae sence eee eee eecibe= = == | 24.37 | Mulligan and Downing. 
Sumac, ground, from Winchester, Va. (mixed) ---..------------- 24.18 | William W. MeMurtrie. 
Sumac (Rhus cotinus) Hallsborough, Va---.--------------------.-| 24.08 | Do. 
Sumac (hus glabra) Georgetown, D. C...---.----.-------------- 26.1 Do. 
Valonia from Smyrna 34.78 | Mulligan and Downing. 
Divi-divi 29. 80 Do. 
Do 49.25 | G. Muller. 
nee bark ..-| 17.87 | Mulligan and Downing. 
31.16 | G. Muller. 
Wattle peri (Acacia pycnantha) golden or broad leaf ..-.---.--. 45.0 | Bosisto, of board of inquiry 
Wattle bark (Acacia decwrrens) black or feather leaf. ---.--.---- 40. 0 appointed by council of 
DOR eee totes Seen e aoe Pes ee Ce a oem one eet ele cin 34. 0 colony of Victoria, Aus- 
DO meena ee ec cises cee ssa easly et aee oat cecceeemraere eles =o PA. G tralia. 
DDO hae Sac ee ee OE ces ee ree eee OEE nee eters -| 29.0 
