88 ANIMAL PROTEINS 



paddle and tanned in several sets of handlers, viz. green 

 handlers (i5-35) three or four days ; second handlers 

 (35-6o) two weeks ; forward handlers (6o-8o) i weeks ; 

 and floaters (8o-90) for three weeks. The tannage is thus 

 6 \ weeks in all. The arrangement of pits is a matter of local 

 convenience, and the number of sets of equal strength is 

 determined by the number of hides being tanned. The 

 hides are split green or after passing through the green set. 

 After tanning they are oiled with cod oil and dried out. 



Type 3 is illustrated by American methods. The 

 goods are tacked on laths or racks with copper nails in 

 order to ensure smooth grain. They are then suspended in 

 tan liquors. The tannage is largely with gambier and in 

 weak liquors, which also help to give smooth grain. The 

 tendency is to employ handler rounds involving a rather 

 large number of pits, and to work these on the press system. 

 Handling is also saved by plumping the liquors instead of 

 shifting the goods forward, and by rocking the suspenders 

 instead of handling up and down. The hides are split after 

 about a month, and the heavier grains laid away in hemlock 

 liquors. 



Type 4. This is a rapid process throughout. The hides 

 are limed in 6-7 days with the help of sulphide, and " bated " 

 by washing in warm water and then in cold to which hydro- 

 chloric acid is gradually added, finishing off again in tepid 

 water. The hides are now coloured off in paddles, put 

 through a small handler round (n-20) for half a week, and 

 then split. The grains are drum tanned in a mixture of 

 chestnut and quebracho extract, over a period of about 

 three days in which the liquor is strengthened gradually 

 from 30 to 50. The fleshes are drum tanned with the old 

 grain liquors after strengthening with quebracho. 



The split hide grains for bag work, after tanning, are 

 drummed in sumach, rinsed, drained, and oiled up to dry 

 out, with some setting out. After wetting back they are 

 shaved if necessary, hand scoured, and heavily sumached 

 again to get a light even colour. The goods are slicked out, 

 oiled up to samm, reset and dried out. They are next 



