FUR-FARMING IN CANADA 101 



methods are excellent; thus, the north American Indians and African 

 Kaffirs are unrivalled dressers of leather. 



The older method of dressing furs, used universally until the 

 Methods introduction of machinery, is to " place the skinsi in a lye of 



alkali ; when the pelt has become soft, the skins are tubbed, 

 and then shaved by passing them over a large knife and placed in an 

 upright position; they are next buttered, and put in a large tub of saw- 

 dust by men half naked, who tread on them for some time, the heat 

 of their bodies rendering the leather soft and supple; they are then 

 beaten out and finished." 



Modern methods of dressing and dyeing are much different. 

 Methods The work is done in large factories where an expert handles 



every department and machinery does most of the tramping 

 and beating. Invention has made possible the use of many commoner 

 and cheaper skins which undergo many operations in the course of 

 their preparation. They may be beamed, scraped, tramped, soaked, 

 fleshed, tanned, dried, drummed, greased, kicked, drummed with saw- 

 dust, dyed, caged, shaved, pared and foot-tubbed before they are ready 

 for the manufacturer. Most of this work is done by machinery, and 

 the large numbers of skins put through at one time makes the product 

 uniform and the cost much lower per unit than by the old-fashioned 

 hand-and-foot process. 



Besides the engine or motor which supplies the power, the 



Apparatus - „ . x • -i 



Used following apparatus is used : 



Washing tanks, which are made of wire mesh and revolve 

 in a tank of water; 



Drying vats, which revolve very rapidly, to throw moisture out of 

 the skins; 



Cleaning drums, which, with an exhaust air arrangement, removes 

 the sawdust or corn starch from the skins; 



Polishing drums, which revolve the skins with sawdust to polish 

 the fur and hair; 



^Vooden tanks, for dyeing; 



Revolving stone cylinder, for beaming; 



Kicking machine, for pounding the skins ; 



Sewing machine, built especially for joining fur; 



Clipping machines, for shearing the underfur even. 



There are chambers for drying skins, where the air is kept con- 

 stantly in motion by exhaust fans, and many other tools or contrivances 

 for hand work, such as crescent-shaped sharp knives, for fleshing, rope 

 for roping, tubs for tramping, knives, combs, boards for stretching, etc. 



