6 COMMERCIAL SICILIAN SUMAC. 



CULTURE AND PREPARATION FOR MARKET. 



Sicilian sumac (Rhus coriaria) is a shrubby bush which grows 

 chiefly in Sicily and Tuscany, and succeeds on any well-drained soil, 

 though the best development is secured in calcareous soils. That 

 grown in the mountainous districts around Palermo is known as 

 "masculine" and contains the highest percentage of tannin from 

 25 to 35 per cent while that grown on the plains is called "feminella" 

 and usually contains less than 25 per cent. Andraesch a states that 

 "feminella" is a variety distinct from "masculine," stronger, having 

 larger leaves, and containing a darker tannin but less of it than the 

 "masculino." Examinations of both kinds of leaf have failed to 

 show any differences, and communication with importers brings out 

 the fact that no distinction is made except on a basis of the tannin 

 content. 



While in this country no attention is devoted to the cultivation of 

 the native sumac, in Sicily it is commonly cultivated, as the yield and 

 value of the leaf are both much greater than from the wild plant. 

 Sumac may be grown on poor, stony, volcanic, or calcareous soils, not 

 too far from the sea, and on mountain sides well exposed to the sun. 

 Sudden changes of temperature or frequent rains, especially when the 

 material is about ready to harvest, greatly injure its quality and 

 strength. 



The plant may be propagated from the young shoots which form 

 each year about the mature plant, from cuttings of the well-ripened 

 stem, or from the seed. The first method is the one generally fol- 

 lowed. The shoots should be at least a foot high, be well supplied 

 with buds, come from young, healthy plants, and have short chain 

 roots well supplied with rootlets. When cuttings from the wood are 

 made, they must be first rooted in a propagation frame at a tempera- 

 ture of about 70 F. The young plants are set in well-cultivated land 

 in rows 2 feet apart, and are given three or four cultivations during 

 the growing season to keep the land free from weeds and grass. 



The first crop is harvested the year after planting, either by pruning 

 or by picking the leaves. Harvesting begins about the middle of 

 July, the time being governed by the development of the leaf, the 

 object being to harvest when the leaf has acquired the deepest green 

 color and reached its maximum weight. If the leaves are gathered 

 by hand, harvesting begins when the first and lowest leaves have 

 reached maturity, usually in May, and two subsequent gatherings are 

 made as the younger leaves become fully developed, once late in July 

 or early in August, and again in September, when the extremities of 

 the branches are gathered. After being picked, the shoots and leaves 



Abs., J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 1898, 17: 774. 

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