94 MANUFACTUKES OF RUSSIA. 



I. Tanned leather. 



Heavy sole l e a t u e r :\i a n u f a c t u k k d f k o m A ji e k i c a n. 



ClKCASSIAN BULL AND BUFFALO HIDES. 



The former are princijially imported iu the salted condition and the latter 

 raw, straight from the slaughter houses. Eaw hides are also used for manu- 

 facturing heavj' driving belts. The peculiarity of sole leather manufacture is that it 

 is not subjected to the action of lye, lime or potash but is treated with old tan liquor 

 mixed with rye tlour, and undergoes cold fomentation and sweating. Sole leather 

 is divided into two kinds, one being prepared by the flour process and the other 

 with the tan liquor. The former variety is an old and popular article; the process 

 consists iu fii'st washing the hide, then bucking in flour and tanning by sprinkling 

 with oak bark four or five times. The drying is carried on in summer or winter, 

 the latter season imparting a deeper reddish brown tint to the leather. The hides 

 are not subjected to any finishing process and their appearance is not pleasing but 

 they are prized by the lower classes. Liquor-tanned sole leather is a much better 

 known article : the process consists in first washing aud scraping the hides, then sprink- 

 ling them with salt upon the flesh side, folding them down the middle and laying 

 them in packs. This operation replaces the lye treatment ; then follows the depilating 

 process, liquor treatment and tanning, which is repeated four times. In former times 

 sulphuric acid was sometimes added to the liquor to hurry the process, but this 

 proved injurious and was later on abandoned. The tanning of liquor-treated sole 

 leather is generally effected with willow, or oak bark, and sometimes certain con- 

 centrated extracts such as wattle, hemlock and sumach are used. The sole leather 

 hides are not subjected to any finishing processes but are only rolled or hammered. 



H A L F - T A N N E D SOLE LEATHER. 



This leather is mauufactiu'ed from the lighter bull and cow hides, as it is prin- 

 cipally used for making ladies boots. It is also used for making small articles such 

 as cartridge pouches, and inner soles, in which cases the smallest hides are used. 

 The essential difference in the preparation of this variety of leather is that the 

 raw hides, after having been washed and scraped, are treated with a mixture of 

 lime and ashes or potash, according to the method practised in the east of Eussia, 

 or only with lime as in the north-west aud south ; the steeping and tanning 

 then follow, the latter operation being repeated three times. Driving belts are pre- 

 pared in this manner, but the largest belts are made of large American and Circas- 

 sian hides, weighing (30 to SO pounds each. This leather is tanned three times and 

 then passed through rolls or hammered, greased with tallow, cut into strips which 

 are sewn together with thongs, or else fastened with copper rivets. 



Soft leather. 



Tills leather must be flexible and comparatively light, and is therefore generally 

 manufactured from the hides of calves, young cows, barren cows and heifers. 



