6 BULLETIX 706^ U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



scattermg — species of sumac collected, and whether leaves, leaf 

 stems, and stalks, or only leaves and leaf stems are desired. The 

 amount of sumac collected by one man m one day may weigh from 

 150 to 600 pounds when dried, but averages between 200 and 300 

 pounds. From experiments conducted by the bureau, in which the 

 sumac was collected by an experienced gatherer, it has been esti- 

 mated that the following amounts of sumac (leaves, leaf stems, and 

 stalks combined) can be gathered in one eight-hour day by an energetic 

 man, provided the stand is good, so that little time is lost in going 

 from one patch to another: 



Dwarf — 728 pounds green; loss of water in curing, 54 per cent; cured sumac, 335 

 pounds.' 



"White — 1,744 pounds green; loss of water in ciuing, 67 per cent; cured sumac 576 

 pounds. 



Staghorn — 952 pounds green; loss of water in curing, 58 per cent; cured sumac, 400 

 pounds. 



Where the stand is scattering or the gatherer is slow, the quantity 

 gathered will be less, but in no case should an able-bodied man be 

 satisfied with less than 200 pomids of cured sumac (leaves and stalks) 

 from his day's work 



GATHERING AND CURING. 



The general practice followed in gathering is to break or cut (only 

 the black can be broken readily) the new-growth stalk just below the 

 lowest leaf stem. The sumac is then allowed to wilt in the sun for a 

 few hours or a day, and hauled to a barn, where it is spread on the 

 barn floor in a layer of from 1 to 3 feet in depth, or on racks which 

 permit the circulation of air underneath. The sumac is then turned 

 once or twice each day for a week to aid in the drying and to prevent 

 the leaves from molding. Some gatherers do not let the sumac wilt 

 in the sun, but spread it at once on racks in the barn or under cover. 

 This method aids materially in producing sumac of the lightest and 

 best color. 



LOSS IN CURING AND HANDUNG. 



Experienced gatherers estimate that the gi'een sumac loses from 

 50 to 60 per cent in weight during curing. There is still further loss 

 in weight between the time of purchase by the dealer and the time 

 of sale, due largely to loss of moisture, still present because of incom- 

 plete drying, to fallmg of leaves, and- to the removal of adhering 

 dirt. This loss between the purchase and sale by the dealer varies 

 in amount from 5 to 15 per cent, thus making a total loss in weight 

 from the original green sumac of from 60 to 75 per cent. 



Results of laboratory experiments on the curing of sumac (leaves, 

 leaf stems, and stalks) given in Table 3 show losses while curing 

 which agree well with those estimated by gatherers. 



1 The dwarf sumac was more scattererl than the other two varieties. This may account for I lie com- 

 paratively low figures for this species. 



