X, A, 6 



Gana: Leather Industry of the Philippines 



369 



Tablk XXIV. — Analysis of leather samples taken at different times during 

 tannage, after the twenty-fifth day in the laying pit. 



Day. 



Kind of 

 hide. 



Mois- 

 ture. 



Parts per 100 of 

 H2O free material. 



Hide sub- 

 stance, 



Tanning 

 matters 

 and ash. 



Twenty-fifth ... 



Forty-fifth 



Sixty-fourth _._ 



Seventy-second . 



Do 



Cattle -.-. 



...do 



...do 



...do 



Carabao .. 



Per cent. 

 17.3 

 16.9 

 14.5 

 14.1 

 14.2 



58.7 

 51.0 

 50.8 

 50.1 

 53.1 



41.3 

 49.0 

 «49.2 

 49.9 

 46.9 



" The owner of the tannei-y at this point unfortunately added 5 fresh pelts to the pit, thereby 

 reducing the strength of the tan liquor and the degree of tannage. 



The increase in strength of the tan liquors, as indicated in 

 Table XXIV, was by no means as rapid as was to be desired. 

 However, as no means were available for grinding the bark, 

 it was not feasible to avoid this objectionable feature. In ad- 

 dition, the process was considerably disturbed by the real or 

 fancied necessities of the owner, who used tan liquor from the 

 layer pit for other hides. 



On the seventy-second day the goods were taken from the pit, 

 piled upon a beam to drain, brushed, wiped, and lightly oiled 

 on the grain. When half -dried under the shed, where they hang 

 from one to five days according to weather conditions, they were 

 laid in a pile to temper. This allows the moisture to dis- 

 tribute itself equally throughout the hides. They were then 

 struck out with a striking pin to smooth and flatten the grain 

 and were hung under the shed further to dry. A second strik- 

 ing followed. They were then rolled with a smooth, hardwood 

 roller provided with a suitable carriage and properly weighted, 

 first with a light weight and a slightly moist grain, and then 

 with a heavy weight and a nearly dry grain. After being 

 rolled, the goods were dried rapidly with free circulation of air 

 and finally polished with a brush by hand. 



The hides so obtained were free from all of the principal 

 defects of the native leather. They displayed no odor nor 

 evidence of putrefaction at any point. The loss of hide sub- 

 stance was much smaller and the degree of tannage much higher, 

 as indicated by Table XXV, which shows the weight of the native 

 leather and that produced by the improved process. 



