— 313 — 

 § 13. Varia over looistoffen. 



In de Jndian Forester'' 1893, .V^. 2, lozen wij in een artikel 

 van E. Thurston over de looistoffen uit het Zuiden van Voor-Indië 

 het volgende: 



„In the course of a recent correspondence with Messrs. Cammiade 

 Brothers, Madras, with reference to the possibility of obtaining a 

 supply of the pods of Caesalpinia digijna as a tan, I received from 

 them the following interesting letter on the subject of the tanning 

 materials used bij them : 



„We use largely the bark of CassUt aiiricalata and mi/raholans, 

 fruits of Terminalia heler ka, Rxh. 



„The bark of Cassia Flstida is also much used in Madras, particu- 

 larly since a year or so. 



„DÜH-(Ui-i (Caesalpinia coriaria) is not procurable regularly, as it 

 cannot be relied on for tanning purposes. If it were grown more 

 abundantly, and if the cultivators understood how to piek the pods 

 at the rlght timo, when it is in prune condition, and if they sorted 

 their dioi-divi and kept it from rot, this tannin would be valuable 

 for cheap tannages. It is suitable for heavy hides, making very 

 firm leather, but of a dark colour. 



^Mijraholans are used principally for colouring skins or hides. 

 Some kinds give a very good colour. It is also used in tanning 

 in a process which consists in sewing the prepared hide like a bag, 

 which is suspended, and in which a decoction of ini/rabolans is 

 placed, and forced bij the pressure of the liquid to percolate through 

 the hide. This is a very inferior tannage, but it is cheap and 

 soon completed. Mtjraholans ferment too soon to be of use as 

 other tannins e. g., the generality of barks. 



„With watfle (Nik/iris) we have had no experience. We know 

 that it is very good for heavy hides, and that it makes very firm 

 leather, but of bad colour. 



„In the ^Revue Ayricole'\ Mauritius, April 1892, the blac/i and 

 fjolden wattles {Acacia decurrens and A. pycnantha) are said to be 

 the principal trees which yield tan, and to be quick growers and 

 easily cultivated. It is calculated that 100 acres of ;<'a^^/e-plantation 

 will give, in a period of eight years, a net income, after deducting 

 all expenses, of g, 2637 or of 4' 3.5 per aci'e per annum. The bark 

 of these wattles is said to contain from 40 to 45 per cent of tannin. 



