8 COMMERCIAL SICILIAN SUMAC. 



this by asserting that the market here demands sumac at such a 

 price that the genuine "masculine" sumac can not be sold. How- 

 ever this may be, it appears important that the actual conditions as 

 to purity of imported sumac should be brought fully to the attention 

 of the American importers and buyers, that they may take such 

 steps as appear advisable for their protection. 



INVESTIGATION OF 1905. 

 SECURING SAMPLES FOB ANALYSIS. 



Through the cooperation of the customs division of the Treasury 

 Department, the samples for examination were secured at the chief 

 ports of entry in accordance with the instructions in the following 

 letter: 



JANUARY 17, 1905. 

 The SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY. 



SIR: In connection with the work of the Bureau of Chemistry of this Department 

 it is desired to obtain samples of sumac leaves and ground sumac entering the ports of 

 New York, Boston, and Baltimore. If in harmony with the regulations of your office, 

 I should be glad if you would issue such instructions to the collectors of the ports 

 named as will enable us to secure the material mentioned. 



In taking the samples, the names and addresses of the consignor and of the con- 

 signee, together with a copy of all the marks on the bags, should be secured and these 

 data forwarded with the proper samples. 



Samples should be drawn from about 5 per cent of each invoice by passing a slotted 

 sampling tube from top to bottom of the bags, thoroughly mixing the subsamples of 

 each invoice thus obtained and taking from 1 to 2 pounds of this to be forwarded to 

 .this Department with the data above mentioned. * * * 



In compliance with this request samples of leaf and ground 

 sumac were taken by the Treasury Department, chiefly through the 

 ports of New York and Boston, and delivered to the Bureau of 

 Chemistry. 



METHODS OF EXAMINATION. 



The samples were submitted to both chemical and microscopic 

 analysis in order to determine their composition and distinguish 

 the adulterants if such were present. An extractor especially adapted 

 to this purpose was used, numerous experiments a having shown that 

 with this apparatus the extraction of sumac is more complete and 

 the operation is more easily conducted than with other extractors- 

 Furthermore, the color of the resulting extract is less affected than 

 when the ordinary copper Soxhlet, such as is quite commonly 

 employed in tannery work, is used. 



Inasmuch as the extraction is more complete with this form of 

 extractor than with those formerly used, the results on tannin are, 



J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 1905, 27; 724; 1906, 28; 505. 

 117 



