AMERICAN SUMAC. 



Table 2. — Importation of sumac into the United States. 



Year. 



1894. 

 1899. 

 1904. 

 1909. 

 1910. 

 1911. 

 1912.. 

 1913. 

 1914. 

 1915. 

 19ir,. 

 1917. 



Sumac extract (im- 

 ported for consump- 

 tion). 



Quantity. 



Pounds. 



1,277,609 



1,266,542 



1,356,020 



1,232,830 



1,461,373 



987,348 

 1,389,733 

 1,270,825 

 1,029,792 



727, 4-; 9 

 36, 003 



Value. 



$54, 535 

 48, 3S9 

 50, 681 

 54, 171 

 54, 899 

 36,025 

 46,551 

 44, 568 

 42,973 

 35,006 

 4,108 



Ground sumac (gen- 

 eral imporia;tion). 



Quantity. 



Pounds. 



8,383,570 

 12,975,970 

 1.^604,6:4 

 10,974,613 

 13, 632, 861 



12, 498, 376 

 14,489,776 

 10,770,400 

 13,165,182 

 21,54'"',3C0 

 11,637,023 



Value. 



$192,647 

 183, 136 

 276, 891 

 293, 2-' 9 

 299, 170 



235, 154 

 297, 506 

 258,738 

 323,4^8 

 555, 276 

 365, 173 



Information, in the possession of the Bureau of Chemistry shows 

 clearly that the consumption of domestic sumac during the two or 

 three years prior to 1917 has been more than 10,000,000 pounds 

 annually. Early in 1910 domestic sumac was quoted at $55 per 

 ton. Sicihan sumac is now (May, 1918) worth from $102 to $105 per 

 ton at the chief Atlantic ports. Domestic sumac recently (May, 1918) 

 was quoted at $60 per ton. 



SPECIES OF AMERICAN SUMAC. 



Important species of sumac growing in North America are : Dwarf 

 sumac {Rhus copallina L.), white sumac (Rlius glabra L.), staghorn 

 smnac (Rhus liirta (L.) Sudw.). Other species which contain tannin 

 are: Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica Ait.), American smoke tree 

 (Rhus cotinoides Nutt.), coral or Jamaica sumac (Rhus metojnum L.). 

 Two species of sumac are poisonous, namely: Poison sumac, or 

 poison elder (Rhus vernix h.), and poison or three-leaf ivy (Rhus 

 radicans L.). 



Descriptions of tlie characteristics, together with the geographic 

 distribution, of the more important species foUow. 



Dwarf sumac, sometimes called Black or Mountain sutmac (Rhus 

 copallina) . — A shrub or sometimes a small tree with maximum height 

 of 30 feet and trunk diameter of 10 inches. The leaflets are dark 

 green, smooth on top, paler and often hairy underneath, with edges 

 smooth or few-toothed toward the apex. The fruit grows in dense 

 terminal clusters, is crunson in color, and is covered with fine hairs. 

 The unmistakable characteristic of this species is the pecuhar winged 

 growth along the leaf stem between the leaflets (PI. II, A). Dwarf 

 sumac grows in dry soil, and may be found from Maine and southern 

 Ontario to Florida and Texas, and west to Minnesota and Nebraska. 



White sumac, sometimes called Smooth, Upland, or Scarlet 

 SUMAC (Rhus glabra) . — ^A shrub, or rarely a small tree, 2 to 20 feet 

 high. The leaflets are dark green on top and whitish underneath, with 

 edges sharply saw-toothed. The fruit grows in dense terminal 



