2 



BULLETIN 706^ U. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



bindings and other purposes, where the leather must last indefinitely. 

 The greater part of the gathered American sumac, however, is used 

 for dyemg cotton goods. 



The sumac mdustry m the United States is of direct mterest to 

 the countr}" people of certain sections. It is largely a farm industry, 

 since the sumac is harvested and cm*ed by the comitry people, and 

 is sold thi'ough comitry dealers for grinding or for the manufacture 

 of sumac extract. 



In recent years the c[uantity of sumac harvested has been rela- 

 tively much smaller than formerly. Cheaper materials for making 

 light-colored leathers are in use, while the demands of dyers have 

 not been large. American sumac, owing to careless gathering and 

 cm*mg, }delds a darker-colored leather than the sumac imported from 

 Sicily, and, smce sumac is used for tanning light-colored leathers, 

 this quality renders the American product less desirable for this pur- 

 pose and decreases the demand for it. Another reason for the small 

 amount collected is that the gatherers often earned less than could 

 be made at other kmds of work. 



Investigations with a view to the betterment of the conditions of 

 collection and the improvement of the quahty of American sumac 

 indicate that the reestabhshment of the sumac industry in this 

 comitry on a firmer basis is entirely possible, and is especially desu*- 

 able at this time, when the importation of Sicilian sumac is restricted 

 by difficulties of transportation. 



American sumac, if properly handled, will make an excellent sub- 

 stitute for SiciHan sumac. Consmners of sumac must reahze, however, 

 that the first step necessary for the production of a high-grade sumac 

 similar to the foreign article is proper gathering and proper curing, 

 which can be accomphshed only by offering as an incentive to the 

 comitry people a price commensurate with the quality. The better 

 the sumac the better should be the price. In this way mutual benefit 

 will be gained, and much will be done toward materially developing 

 the domestic sumac industry. 



Statistics probably do not indicate accurately the quantity of 

 smnac gathered in the United States, because careful records are not 

 kept by gatherers and dealers of the amomits collected and used. 

 The figures for domestic production given in Table 1 were compiled 

 from the Census reports, and the figures for the imports on the 

 reports on commerce and navigation of the United States, issued by 

 the U. S. Department of Commerce. 



Table 1. — Production of sumacin the United States. 



Year. 



Sumac extract. 



Ground sumac. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Vali-.c. 



1899 



Pimnin. 

 3,349,742 

 4,093,019 

 3, 14S,7'.;0 

 4, 512, 301 



!$ 103, OSS 

 95,958 

 107, 4-6 

 12 J, 031 



Pounds. 



9,284,000 



5,061,333 



$114,600 

 65, 190 



1904 



1909 



1914 

















