

in Extra-Tropical Countries. 323 



Bhus coriaria, Dodoens. 



The Tanner's Sumach. Countries around the Mediterranean Sea 

 extending to temperate Western Asia. The foliage of this shrub or 

 small tree, simply dried and reduced to powder, forms the sumach of 

 commerce. It is remarkably rich in tannic acid, yielding as much as 

 30 per cent., and is extensively used for the production of a superior 

 Corduan or Maroquin-leather and pale-colored leathers and dress- 

 goods. Sumach allows the leather to carry more grease (Bailment). 

 Price in Melbourne 24 to 36 per ton. It thrives best in loose 

 calcareous soils, and cannot endure stagnant water. The strongest 

 sumach is produced on dry ground. The cultivation presents no 

 difficulty. A gathering can be obtained from suckers in the first year. 

 The duration of sumach-fields under manure extends to fifteen years- 

 Sumach can also be used for ink and various, particularly black, dyes. 

 Under favorable circumstances as much as a ton of sumach is obtained 

 from an acre. Sumach from Melbourne-plants was shown already at 

 the Exhibition of 1863. 



Rhus cotinoides, Nuttall. 



Arkansas and Alabama. A tree, rising to 40 feet. The inner 

 bark and the wood valuable for yielding a yellow dye (C. Mohr). 



Rhus COtinus, Linne.* (Ootinus coggyria, Scopoli.) 



The Scotino. In the countries on the Mediterranean Sea, extend- 

 ing to Hungaria and to the Himalayas. The wood of this bush 

 furnishes a yellow pigment. The Scotino, so valuable as a material 

 for yellow and black dye, and as a superior tanning substance, consists 

 merely of the ground foliage of this plant. It contains up to 24 per 

 cent, tannin. The plant endures the Norwegian winters northward 

 to lat. 67 56' (Prof. Schuebeler). 



Rhus glabra, Linne". 



North- America, extending to 54 north latitude; in Norway hardy 

 to lat. 58 8'. This sumach-shrub will grow on rocky and sterile 

 soil. It produces a kind of gall, and can also be used as a substitute 

 for the ordinary sumach. This species can be easily multiplied from 

 suckers. It will live on poor soil, and is rich in the quality and long 

 lasting yield of honey from its flowers (Quiuby). American sumachs 

 contain generally from 15 to 20 per cent., or occasionally up to 26 

 per cent, tannin. [On value of American Sumachs see Special Report 

 No. 26, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1880.] Employed also for 

 therapeutic purposes. 



Rhus lucida, Linne. 



South-Africa. This shrub proved in Victoria of peculiar adapt- 

 ability for forming hedges; it is evergreen, close growing, and stands 

 clipping well. About half a hundred South- African species are 

 known, of which probably some could be utilized like ordinary 

 sumach; but hitherto we have remained unacquainted with the 

 nature and degree of any of their tanning and coloring principles. 



