228 
Snpplmmi U th " Tvopiml A^vkultuvisty 
[September i, 1890, 
Moorman is often met with even here, carrying 
goods in tavalams, with the object of bartering. 
Wahakotte is a place about 20 miles to the 
North of Matale. The inhabitants are supposed 
to be the descendants of some Portuguese who 
settled here during the persecution by the Dutch — 
a large number being Eoman Catholics. Here I 
had the pleasure of visiting the garden of 
Father Assauw of the E. C. Mission, who has by a 
judicious system of cultivation, converted an 
a bandoned area of coconut property into a charm- 
ing estate. 
The palms on this estate are as healthy and 
fruitful as any I have seen, but the most inter- 
esting result of his agricultural operations is his 
vegetable garden, where a large number of English 
vegetables have been grown to advantage. Father 
Assauw’s successis almost phenomenal, considering 
the dry climate of the district and the other odds 
he has to contend against. Carrots and turnips 
grow almost to perfection, tomatoes bear profusely, 
and cabbages show well-formed heads. The 
cultivation of these are, of course, limited to a 
certain part of the year. 
What struck me most was a robust grape vine 
which had been grown experimentally, laden with 
fruit. Pruning appears to be the secret of success- 
ful cultivation. Father Assauw encouraged by his 
success, is about to extend his vineyard. In truth, 
the garden I have described is “ a model farm ” 
for the district. 
4 >— 
A VISIT TO A TANNEEY. 
In the course of last month the students of the 
School of Agriculture took advantage of the 
opportunity of visiting a tannery, and making 
themselves acquainted with the process of tan- 
ning hides. Few of the meat-consuming public 
in Ceylon can be aware of what becomes of all 
the skins of the animals that are slaughtered for 
food. Only a part of the hides produced in Ceylon 
find their way to the hands of our Ceylon shoe- 
makers, the larger balance being exported mostly 
to England, though some reach France and 
Germany. The skins obtained in and around 
Colombo are all used up in the tanneries estab- 
lished by native traders (some four or five at the 
most) in the capital. The establishment about to 
be described is about the largest and most com- 
plete of these, turning out nearly 2,000 prepared 
hides per month, and employing about 31 coolies. 
A place of this description would compare un- 
favourably as regards size with an English tan- 
nery, such as may be seen in Bermondsley, but 
we must recollect that in Ceylon the supply of 
skins is very limited, and that there is no scope 
for extending the enterprise. It is with the 
greatest difficulty that Mr. D. Carolis, the courteous 
jtroprietor of the tannery situated not far from 
the .Tawatte Asylum, gets a sufficient number of 
skins to keep the work going in his establish- 
ment. and he finds it necessary to go far from 
Colombo and make heavy advances to butchers 
and others before he can get what he requires. 
Mr. Carolis’ tannery is admirably situated in a 
part remote from dwelling houses, the road 
leading to it being little at ailed of by the pul)lic. 
The principal tanning materials used at this 
establishment are, the bark of Cassia Auriculata 
(Sin. Eanawara), Ehizopora Mucronata (Sin. 
Kadol), and gall-nuts from Terminalia Chebula 
(Sin. Aralu). The first costs Sets, per ft., the 
second only 2| cts. The skins of neat cattle, 
buffaloes, dogs, deer, and cheetahs are all prepared 
here. In tanning the skins three methods are adopt- 
ed. The skins which produce the best hide are 
tanned by means of Cassia Auriculata, another 
coarser variety by the use of Ehizopora Mucro- 
nata, while the white leather used for some 
kinds of ladies’ shoes is prepared by using 
alum. 
The skins which are bought from the butchers 
and others every day, are steeped in water for a 
night, and next morning the fieshy tissues are 
scraped off. They are then immersed in tubs con- 
taining lime and water and kept in that condition 
for a week, the water and lime being frequently 
changed. 'The skins which are now swollen and 
soft, are washed well and subjected to a process 
of scraping with knives to remove the hair &c. 
If the skins are to be tanned by means of the 
two barks abovementioned, they are put in small 
tanks holding 30 to .50 skins, and the bark, which 
has been reduced to very small pieces, is spread 
in layers between the skins. The tank is then 
filled with water and covered up, the skins get- 
ting fresh bark and water once or twice, and being 
finally removed after four or five days and well 
washed. If up to this stage E. Mucronata (Kadol) 
has been used, the skins are subjected to no 
further process except drying ; but if C. Auriculata 
(Eanawara) has been used (and a really good 
quality of hide is arrived at) the skins are tanned 
further by means of gall-nuts. The gall-nuts are 
smashed and placed in a tub in which boiling water 
is poured, and when the water is tepid the .skins 
are put in and steeped for one or two days. 
Gall-nuts cost 3 cts. per ft. 
The skins being now finally removed from 
tanning materials, are well dried and undergo 
oiling. The hides are spread on a large table and 
well-rubbed with gingelly oil. They are again 
air-dried and then put away for baling. Only 
good skins got from neat cattle undergo this 
latter process, and the preparation of a pound of 
hide of this sort costs on an average 12^ cts. 
Those skins which are prepared only with E. 
Mucronata are said to cost on an average only 2 
cts. per ft. ; and buffalo-skins are only prepared in 
this way. The market price in England is about 
6 pence per ft. for this latter variety ; the first 
quality fetching 10 pence per ft. 
The alum process is used for sheep-skins and 
dog skins, no other material for tanning being 
there used. The dog skins are got from the 
animals condemned to death by Municipal 
authority — the value of a carcase being 3 cents. 
Dog skins are much used in England for gentle- 
men’s gloves. The buffalo hides are used for 
saddlery and harness manufacture, while the first 
quality leather is utilized for shoes, boots a?id 
other purposes where finer leather is required. 
Buffalo skins are also prepared for exportation 
w'ithout tanning them. In this case the .skins are 
soaked in water, and after the flesh is removed, 
they are salted (8 ft. going to a skin). The saline 
liquor left was found when sprinkled over the 
surrounding coconut land to keeji tlie land free 
