No. 216.J 185 



1,000 feet of " ooze," or water charged with tanning, in thirty mi- 

 nutes. The beam-house contains thirty vats, equivalent to 7.640 cu- 

 bic feet. It has connected with it three hide-mills for softening the 

 dry Spanish hides, and two rolling machines, capable of rolling 500 

 sides of leather per day. Outside of the building, but connected with 

 the beam-house by an underground communication, are eight stone 

 sweat pits, with pointed arches and flues. The pits are of the most 

 approved size, being in area 10 feet by 14, and in depth 8 feet, 

 with a spring of water at one corner. 



Since I first commenced business, the gain of weight in converting 

 hides into leather, has been increased nearly 50 per cent. That is, 

 that from a quarter to a third more leather can now be obtained from 

 a given quantity, of hides, than at the time when I learned my trade 

 at my father's tannery, conducted in the old fashioned way, some 40 

 years ago. 



The great improvement in weight seems to have been gained by 

 the judicious use of strong liquors, or " ooze," obtained from finely 

 ground bark, and by skilful tanning. 



The loss and wastage upon hides, from hair, flesh, etc , may be es- 

 timnted at from 12 to 15 per cent. In order to produce heavy weights, 

 the hides should not be reduced too low in the beam house, and 

 should be tanned quickly with good strong liquors, particularly in 

 the latter stage of the operation. To green hides, particularly, noth- 

 ing can be more injurious than to suffer them to remain too long in 

 weak " ooze." They become too much reduced, grow soft, flat and 

 flabby, lose a portion of their gelatine, and refuse to " plump up." 



On the other hand, however, the eflfects of an early application of 

 " ooze," that is too strong and too warm, to green hides, is very in- 

 jurious. It contracts the surface fibres of the skin, tanning at once 

 the external layers so " dead," as it is termed, as to shut up the pores 

 and prevent the tanning from penetrating the interior. This renders 

 the leather harsh and brittle. It will, from this, be seen, that in the 

 question of the proper strength of liquor alone, there is room for the 

 exercise of the greatest judgment and the most extensive experience. 

 In the impossibility of adopting fixed rules to the innumerable varie- 

 ty of cases, nothing can be depended upon but the judgment of the 

 practical tanner. 



In softening hides, and preparing them for the process of tanning, 

 a great deal also depends upon the judgment of the person superin- 



