74 • 



Sumac is also used for its coloring matter in dyeing and 

 calico printing. It gives, with a mordant of tin, a yellow; 

 with acetate of iron, a gray or black; and with sulphate 

 of zinc, a brownish yellow. The bark of the smooth sumac 

 {Ji. glabra) is used as a mordant foi* red. 



The sumacs richest in tannic acid are said to be those 

 which have small dark-green leaves; hence oiir small leaf ed 

 western sumac (R. microphylla) must be richer in tannin 

 than any other known American species, because its leaves 

 are very small and also of a very dark green. 



Of late years Virginia has had quite a large trade in 

 sumac. It is now demonstrated and admitted by con- 

 sumers in our own country and dealers in Europe, that 

 American sumac, well ' prepared, is superior in tanning 

 material to most of that in Europe. An importing house, 

 having branches in New York, Philadelphia and Savannah, 

 in a circular to the trade, dated Dec. 31st, 1869, states : 



"We would call the attention of the trade, to a very 

 fine Virginian surftac, now being received by us, equal in 

 every respect to the finest Sicily. We recommend its 

 use from the following comparison in the analyses : 

 Finest Sicilian marked with Finest American from Vir- 



a lead seal. Pojire and ginia. 



ne plus ultra. 



Tannin 23.65 ^ Tannin 30.00 



Sand 1.00 Sand 50 



Vegetable fibre 75.35 Vegetable fibre 69.60 



100.00 100.00 



Alexander Macrae, a produce broker of Liverpool, Eng- 

 land, in Ms Importers' and Exporters' Circular of Januarj' 

 10th, 1870, says : 



_A great revolution is about to be witnessed in this tan- 

 ning and dying material. Supplies have commenced to 

 arrive from Virginia, the quality of which is the best that 

 has ever reached Great Britain. The official analysis 

 (Huson), shows that the finest brand of Sicilian, the "ne 

 plus ultra," gives twenty-four and a half per cent of tan- 

 nin, but the best samples of American (same analysis). 

 yieM thirty-one per cent, of tannin. 



Yet tons of sumac are wasted annually in Texas, for 

 want of gathering, drying and grinding. 



The Dallas Tanning Company have paid $110 per ton 

 for Sicilian sumac. This was before they knew the value 



