DYEING AND DRESSING OF FURS 87 



even Hudson seal, which is muskrat, but they are superior to near 

 and electric seal, which is rabbit. 



The great dyeing and dressing centre for squirrel has been 

 Weissenfels, Germany, where it was supposed the natural clays 

 and salts gave peculiar advantage to the 20 great dyeing firms 

 there ; but this supposition I again doubt, for American firms are 

 doing the same dyeing to-day and doing it well. I rather suspect 

 the supremacy of Germany in squirrel dressing arose from the fact 

 that of 15,000,000 squirrels coming to world markets, more than 

 three-fourths come from Russia ; and the most of the buying was 

 for European markets. It may be guessed, Germany will retain 

 her ascendancy. One firm dyes as many as half a million squirrel. 

 Tails are used for boas. Bellies are used for cheap linings, and 

 backs for expensive linings in imitation of otter for men's coat 

 collars and linings. The pretty matched coat linings for wraps 

 come from this source. 



From beaver, the over hairs are hand plucked. Skins must 

 be soaked and a dull knife used on the skin side. Poor beaver is 

 used dyed for sea otter and for felting. Perfect beaver is never dyed. 



Muskrat dye is a long process. It is, indeed, both an American 

 and a French process ; for the house that developed muskrat dyeing 

 first perfected the process in France. The black muskrat used 

 to be used for expensive coat linings in imitation of otter. The 

 muskrat pelt is stretched flat and cut square, by which it can 

 always be detected. The old process was to clean the skins in warm 

 water, scrape off all fat and flesh, and stretch the pelt fur side down. 

 The pelt was then immersed in a solution of salt, alum, water and 

 sulphuric acid, thickened with wheat bran and flour. When dried, 

 the bran was shaken off and the pelt rolled and unrolled to soften. 

 The tanning followed, a warm water pickle of wheat bran in 

 slight ferment with salt and the skin immersed for a few hours. 

 Ingredients of the pickles and the time set for each, I prefer not 

 to give, for each dresser has his own methods, which he does not 

 advertise. 



