72 ANIMAL PROTEINS 



1. A rather mellow liming of 10-15 days (longer than 

 for sole leather), in which nothing but lime is used, and a 

 certain amount of old liquor used in making up the new 

 limes. The liming was carried out by the one-pit system, 

 but the goods and liquors were kept clean by a good soaking 

 process. Hence the loss of hide substances was not very 

 great ; goods so treated were bated before tanning. 



2. A shorter liming than the above by the three-pit 

 system. This saved time (taking 9-10 days), saved hide 

 substance, and ensured greater regularity of treatment. 

 The limes were about as mellow, but a little sulphide (2-4 ozs. 

 per hide) was used to assist the depilation, especially during 

 the short-hair season. These goods were also bated. 



3. A distinctly longer liming, 15-16 days, in mellower 

 limes. This differed from Type i also in the respect that 

 greater regularity was ensured by the three-pit system ; a 

 foot or two of old liquor was used in making up the new 

 lime. More hide substance was lost than in either of the 

 above processes, but this was deliberate, the object being 

 to dispense with bating, which is always light for harness 

 hides. Thus a longer and mellower but systematic liming 

 was used as a substitute for shorter liming and bating. No 

 sulphide was used in this process. 



4. A short liming of 6-7 days, using up to 12 ozs. of 

 sulphide per hide. The object here is to save time and hide 

 substance. The three-pit system is preferred. Bating again 

 becomes necessary, but the pigeon- dung bate is replaced 

 by artificial bates, less objectionable, quicker, and more 

 scientific in management. 



5. A still shorter process of about five days, using still 

 more sulphide (about 16-20 ozs. per hide), together with 

 some calcium chloride to reduce harshness. In such a 

 method there is a tendency to revert to the one-pit system, 

 which involves rather less labour. The three-pit system 

 shows to a great advantage in the longer processes of 

 liming when the process is reduced to five days; there is 

 little difference between the two, for a one-pit system is a 

 two-liquor method. Hence again an artificial bate is used. 



