4'20 REDOUT OF THE BUREAU OF ANI?,IAL IXDUSTUY. 



put in lime four or fivo days, unhairod, put in clean wator, taken out 

 and worked on the grain; then handled in weak, sour hemlock liquors 

 about three weeks; then laid away in fresh hemlock liquors and bark 

 three or four months, but dusted down in the ' ' lay-aways " with plenty 

 of oak bark, ground fine, taken out, washed, oiled, dried, dampened, 

 and rolled. Bellies are struck through and trimmed off after about 

 six weeks in tan. Heads are cut off from the hides and usually 

 tanned separately. 



Union leather* is popular in this country. The production of it 

 increases steadily. It is used largely for soles of women's shoes. 

 Heads and bellies cut from it are exported in considerable quantities. 



HEMLOCK SLAUGHTER SOLE-LEATHER (TANNED WITHOUT ACID). 



Hides are split, soaked, fleshed, limed two days, handled a day in 

 hot water, and then unhairod and taken to weak, sour liquors, where 

 they are handled two weeks, then laid away in liquors of 12 per cent, 

 strength two weeks, then changed to fresh liquors of 16 per cent, for 

 three weeks, then to liquors of 18 to 20 per cent, for a month, and 

 then to liquors of 25 pei* cent. , and they lay there a month or more, 

 then are taken out, washed, oiled, hung to dry, dampened, sammied, 

 and rolled. This leather is bought and sold by the dealers in find- 

 ings and shoemakers' materials. It. is useful for custom work and 

 cobbling. To some extent it is exported to Northern Europe. It is 

 the highest-priced hemlock leather made here. 



HEMLOCK SLAUGHTER SOLE (ACID LEATHER). 



Hides are split down the back, then soaked one to three days, 

 fleshed, put in lime two days, handled in hot water one day, unhaired, 

 washed, and hung in vats on sticks in weak coloring liquor one hour, 

 taken out and hung in vitriol vats forty-eight hours in a weak solu- 

 tion of sulphuric acid and water; then handled in sour liquor two 

 weeks, laid away in fresh hemlock liquors three to five months, or 

 handled in the extract: then oiled, dried, dampened, and rolled. 

 This sole-leather is exported to some extent. Most of the leather 

 sent abroad is tanned with acids. At home it is used for bottoming 

 shoes which are designed for service rather than for show. 



HEMLOCK SOLE FROM DRY HIDES (NON-ACID). 



Hides are soaked two weeks, split, softened in a hide-mill, hung in 

 sweat-pits fivo to seven days, to unhair, taken out, worked in hide- 

 mill to unhair, also over the beam, then fleshed, handled in weak, 

 sour liquors ten days; then put in sweet hemlock liquors, say of 12 

 per cent., two weeks, then 10 per cent, three weeks, then 18 per cent, 

 tour weeks, and in 25 per cent, a month; then washed, oiled, hung 

 to dry, dampened, sammied, and rolled. This leather is used in all 

 kinds of cheap shoes. It is soft and pliable, and works well under 

 the sole-sewing machine. There is not much of it exported, but its 

 home use is universal. 



HEMLOCK SOLE FROM DRY HIDES (ACID LEATHER). 



Domestic and foreign hides are used, which are first soaked about 

 two weeks, split down the back, and then put in hide-mills to soften 

 them; then hung in sweat-pits, well protected from the weather, 



