LEATHER, VEGETABLE 103 



through holes in the -whole series of discs between their centre and their circum- 

 ference, and so connected with the axis by its ends as to be carried round with it. By 

 this contrivance the upper roller is enabled to adapt its surface to that of the skin, 

 which is everywhere pressed with an equal force, due to the weight of the discs of 

 which the upper roller is composed. It is stated in the ' Penny Magazine ' ' that this 

 machine will split a sheep-skin of the ordinary size in about two minutes, during which 

 time the knife makes from two to three thousand vibratory motions to and fro.' 

 This machine is said to be the invention of Lieutenant Parr. Another contrivance 

 is known as Duxbury's Patent Skin-Splitting Machine, in which the knife consists of 

 a series of plates of steel, so attached to the periphery of a wheel or disc, seventeen 

 feet in diameter, as to form a gigantic cutting instrument, resembling a crown or 

 trepan saw, the compound blade projecting horizontally from the rim of the wheel 

 parallel to its axis. The skin to be split passes round the circumference of a hori- 

 zontal drum, the axis of which is at right angles with that of the great disc, and lies 

 very nearly in the same plane with its face, and which instead of being perfectly 

 cylindrical has its sides so hollowed as to present a concavity perfectly tallying with 

 the curvature of the periphery of the disc. As therefore the drum revolves it brings 

 the skin, which is confined closely to its concave surface by a contrivance somewhat 

 resembling the upper roller in the machine above described, in contact with the edge 

 of the revolving knife, which cuts by a continuous onward movement, instead of a 

 sawing action backwards and forwards. The extreme nicety required to fix the con- 

 cavity of the feeding roller to the edge of the circular knife, and to keep the knife or 

 cutter itself perfectly true in shape, appear to be the chief objections to this ingenious 

 contrivance. Penny Cyclopcedia, SuppL, 'Leather.' 



Exports of leather of British produce and manufacture in 1872 : 



Total value 



Tanned, unwrought .... 139,019 cwts. 1,220,981 



Wrought, boots and shoes . . . 579,130 dozen pairs 1,695,248 

 Other articles unenumerated . . . 1,937,604 Ibs. 376,441 



Imports of Leather in 1872. 



Leather, unwrought : hides not tanned, tawed, Total value 



curried, or in any way dressed . . . 808,930 cwts. 3,063,920 



Hides, wet 627,930 1,915,342 



tanned, not otherwise dressed J . 23,574,061 Ibs. 1,179,716 



tanned, curried, but not enamelled . .3,135,162 , 479,680 



,, varnished, japanned, or enamelled . . 479,658 123,098 



Imports of leather manufactured, &c., in 1872 : 



Value 



Boots and shoes 46,139 dozen pairs 151,218 



Gloves 1,052,717 1,403,622 



Unenumerated 139,209 



IiBATHER-CIiOTH. Under the name of American Leather-cloth, an enamelled 

 oil-cloth has been introduced. Much of it possessed great elasticity, and resembled 

 the vegetable leather described in the next article. The trade has, however, rapidly 

 declined, as will be seen by the following table of imports of this material : 



yards valua 



1854 631,304 38,210 



1855 . . . . . . 565,395 42,405 



1856 507,326 38,069 



1858 174,573 13,094 



I860 151,969 11,398 



1861 127,051 9,528 



The recent importations of leather-cloth are not obtainable. 



LEATHER, VEGETABLE. Under this name a new material, composed of 

 india-rubber spread upon linen, has been introduced. Of this the 'Mechanics' 

 Magazine' writes: 'Having seen some specimens of these leathers, as well as various 

 articles of utility manufactured therewith, we have been induced to pay the extensive 

 works of Messrs. Spill and Co., the eminent Government contractors, on Stepney Green, 

 a visit, in order to cull sufficient to place upon record the present position of artificial 

 as a substitute for real leather. The face and general character of the vegetable 

 leather resembles the natural product so closely, that it is only by actual examination 

 that the difference can be determined. This is more particularly the case in that des- 

 cription which is made for bookbinding, the covering of library tables, and like purposes. 



