TANNING MATERIALS 



TARO 



629 



balans, which in an immature condition contain consid- 

 erable tannin. The leaves and bark are used for tanning. 

 The leaves contain 18 per cent of tannin. 



Willow hark (Salix species). The bark of willow 

 shoots grown for basket-making contain 7 to 12 per 

 cent of tannin, but the quantity of bark thus available 

 Is small. Salix arenaria and S. Busselliana. The bark of 

 these is used for tanning in Russia, and for Danish grove 

 leather. Some barks contain up to 12 to 14 per cent of 

 iron-bluing tannin. They impart a strong odor to leather. 



Poplar barks have been used for tanning, but contain 

 only 2 to 3 per cent of tannin. 



Persea, or Laurus Lingue. The bark is used in Chile 

 for tanning Valdivia leather. It contains 17 to 19 per 

 cent of a catechol-phloroglucol tanuiii. 



Cape Sumac or Pruim Bast (Osyris compressa, 

 Fusanus eompressus, Colpoon compressum, Thesium 

 Colpoon) is found on the Cape of Good Hops. The leaves 

 contain about 23 per cent of tannin and are used as 

 a substitute or adulterant for sumac. 



Quaudony {Fusanus acuminatus, Santalum acumi- 

 natus), of Australia, contains 18 to 19 per cent of dark 

 colored tannin. The bark of Exoearpus eupressiformis, 

 of Australia, contains 15 per cent of tannin. 



Heath honeysuckle {Banksia serrata), of Australia, 

 contains 11 to 23 per cent of tannin. Banksia integri- 

 folia, of Queensland, has 11 per cent of tannin in the 

 bark. Grevillea striata, of Australia, has 18 per cent of 

 tannin in the bark. Kruppelboom, or Knotted tree (Z/ea- 

 cospermum, conocarpum), of the Cape of Good Hope, con- 

 tains 10 to 22 per cent of tannin. Sugarbush {Protea 

 mellifera), of Cape of Good Hope, yields 18.8 to 25 per 

 cent of tannin. Waagenboom (Protea grandiflora) yields 

 15 to 25 per cent of tannin. Silver tree (Leucadendron 

 argenteum), of the Cape of Good Hope, has 9 to 16 per 

 cent of tannin in the bark. 



Marsh Rosemary {Statice Limonium), of the south of 

 Russia, contains 22 per cent of tannin. Sea Lavender 

 {Statice Limonium), of the coasts and salt marshes of 

 Europe and America, yields about 20 to 25 per cent of 

 tannin. It is used in France, Spain and Portugal. 



Nancite or Mangrutta {Malpighia punicifolia), grown 

 in Nicaragua. The bark contains 20 to 30 per cent of 

 light colored tannin. 



Casuarina equisetifolia, Linn. (C. leterifolia. Lam.) 

 The bark is known as Filao bark in Reunion. It is the 

 Tjamara laut of Java and the Casagha or Tinian pine of 

 Ceylon. It gives blue-blacks with iron and contains 11 to 

 18 per cent of tannin. It is one of the beefwoods. 



Sweet fern (Myrica IComptonia] asplenifolia) grows 

 wild on many thousands of acres in Michigan. It yields 

 40 per cent of " extract." The leaves contain 4 to 5 per 

 cent and the roots 4 to 6 per cent of tannin. Myrica 

 Nagi {Hind. Kaiphal), of India, contains 13 to 27 per 

 cent of tannin in the bark. 



The common alder {Alnus glutinosa) contains 16 to 

 20 per cent of iron-green tannin, with much red coloring 

 matter. Old barks maybe as low as 10 per cent in tannin. 

 When used alone it gives a red, hard and brittle leather, 

 but, with galls and valonia, it produces a satisfactory 

 tannin. 



Hannoki {Alnus maritima) and Minibari {A. firma), 

 of Japan. The fruits (yashi) contain 25 per cent of iron- 

 bluing tanning matter and little coloring matter. A. 

 Nepalensis and A. nitida are used in India for tanning 

 purposes. 



White or common birch (Betula alba). The inner bark 

 is used in Scotland (in conjunction with larch for tanning 

 f heep-skins), Norway, Russia and elsewhere. It contains 

 only 2 to 5 per cent of iron-greening tannin, and much 

 fermentable sugar. It is used to produce the birch-bark 

 tar used to give scent and insect-resisting power to 

 "Russiarleather." 



Pomegranate {Punica Granatum). The peel of the 

 fruit is employed in Spain and the Bast as a substitute 

 for sumac, and contains up to 25 per cent of tannin. The 

 bark is said to contain 25 per cent of tannin. Balaustines, 

 or wild pomegranates, are found in the Bast Indies The 

 fruit is said to contain 46 per cent of tannin. 



Bloodroot or Shepherd's Knot {Tormentilla erecta, 

 Potentilla Tormentilla). The root is variously stated to 

 contain 20 to 46 per cent of tannin. It produces a red 

 colored leather. 



Mountain Ash {Sorbus or Pyrus Aucuparia). The bark 

 is said to be stronger than oak. 



Butea frondosa, with Pterocarpus Marsupium, fur- 

 nishes East Indian kino. The flowers are used in India as 

 a dye, under the name of Tesu. The bark is fairly rich in 

 tannin. 



Pterocarpus, or Drepanocarpus Senegalensis, is the 

 source of African kino, which contains up to 75 per cent 

 of tannin. 



Mango {Mangifera Indica) is widely distributed in the 

 tropics. The bark and leaves are rich in tannin which 

 gives green-blacks with iron. 



TARO. Coloeasia antiquorum, var. esculenta. {Ca- 

 ladium Coloeasia.) Aroidem. Figs. 852, 853 ; also 

 Pigs. 131, 132, 135, in Vol. I. 



By J. E. Higgins. 



The taro plant is cultivated for the thickened 

 starchy underground parts. The plant is a peren- 

 nial herb, with large cordate-peltate leaves. The 

 spadix terminates in a club-shaped appendage des- 

 titute of stamens, half as long as the staminate 

 inflorescence. The species, in some forms. Is in 

 common cultivation for ornament. Taro is the 

 chief food plant of the natives of Hawaii and other 

 of the Polynesian races. It is supposed to be a 

 native of India, whence it has been distributed to 

 Malay, Sumatra and the Polynesian archipelago. 

 It reached Hawaii, no doubt, with the early migra- 

 tions from the south. 



Varieties. 



Although propagated by asexual parts, the taro 

 has run into many varieties. In the ancient 

 Hawaiian cultivation there were thirty to fifty 

 named varieties, more or less distinct. They varied 

 in size, form, color of flesh, color of leaf and leaf- 

 stalk, in texture and flavor, and in the period 

 required for maturity. There was a variety known 

 as the Royal taro, which was used by the kings 

 and high chiefs. Most of these varieties are not 

 extensively cultivated to-day, but a large number 

 could doubtless be collected among the native 

 Hawaiians. 



There are two general types of taro, the one 

 growing partly submerged, and known as water 

 taro, and the other growing on uplands whicfi are 

 abundantly supplied with moisture, but not sub- 

 merged. The latter is spoken of as dryland taro. 



Culture of water taro. 



Soil. — The soil for water taro should be heavy 

 and retentive of moisture. Muck soils of the valley 

 bottoms are usually selected. The whole valley 

 bottoms in Hawaii are frequently laid out in taro 

 patches. These vary in size and shape, no two of 



