FUR FACTS 253 



To prepare the brains take a piece of loosely woven factory cotton 

 eight inches square, place the brains of an animal on the center of 

 the cloth, gather the edges of the cloth into the hand and lift it up 

 from the table and tie a string around the cloth two inches above the 

 brains. 



Now boil the brains in one gallon of soft water for an hour, then 

 remove the kettle from the fire, and pour the contents into a clean pail, 

 and let it stand until it cools sufficiently to bear the hand in it. The 

 temperature having fallen to this point, take hold of the part of the 

 cloth containing the brains and rub it between the hands, most of the 

 time under the water, until all the brains have been forced through 

 the cloth. This done, place the skin in the solution and work it 

 with the hands. First knead it thoroughly, then stretch it in every 

 way. Repeat kneading and stretching at intervals of ten minutes 

 for an hour, then let the skin remain in the liquid two hours, when it 

 is kneaded and stretched once more and allowed to remain another 

 hour, then lifted out of the liquid and hung up to dry out two thirds. 



In cold weather the skin is allowed to remain in the liquid over 

 night for it will not suffer in substance so quickly as in hot weather. 



After the skin is two-thirds dry it is taken down and stretched in 

 every way. 



The stretching is repeated at intervals until the skin is dry. 



The stretching and drying being completed, the skin is folded 

 into a small compass, wrapped in cloth or in a finished skin to exclude 

 the air, and allowed to remain two weeks or longer to season, when it 

 is ready for the smoking process. Smoking the skin colors and retans 

 it, the retanning bringing it to a state in which it may be washed 

 with soap, yet dry soft. 



The skins may be smoked in a smoke-house such as is used for 

 curing meat. In such a house the skins should not be hung up by 

 the hind shanks or by the head, for if they are, they will not be of a 

 uniform color throughout. They should be tacked lightly to frames 

 so that the smoke has free access to both sides of them. The skin 

 being smoked, and ready for washing, scour it thoroughly in luke- 

 warm water. This done, hang it up without wringing, by the hind 

 shanks to dry completely. Let it remain in the crust or dry state 

 for a week, then immerse it in water three seconds; lift it out, give 

 it a shake, fold it tightly and cover it for half a day or over night, 

 stretched every way, and then hang it up to dry out partly. Repeat 

 the stretching and hanging-up at intervals until the skin has dried 

 completely, which finishes the work and leaves the skin soft and 

 pliable. 



