AMERICAN" SUMAC. 
9 
and off-colored leaves that would be satisfactory for tanning and 
dyeing purposes when color is not the primary consideration. 
Some extracts made from American sumac show the same results 
upon analysis as those made from the best Sicilian sumac, and con- 
tain coloring matter not more than 20 per cent in excess of that 
found in Sicilian sumac extracts. They can be bought at about 
three-fifths the price paid for extracts made from Sicilian sumac. 
SUMAC EXTRACT. 
Formerly the users of domestic sumac bought the leaves or ground 
sumac, which is the sumac leaf ground to a coarse powder, and made 
their own liquors for tanning or dyeing from these materials. In 
recent years the grinding of sumac has decreased, and users have 
bought sumac extracts instead. The price of domestic sumac 
extract, which contains usually about 25 per cent of tannin and is 
sold on the basis of its tannin content, has increased materially in 
the past three years. In 1914 the quoted price per pound was about 
3f cents; in 1915, from 3| to 9 cents; in 1916, from 5+ to 10 cents; in 
1917, from 4^ to 5 cents; and at present (May, 1918), the price is 
A.\ to 5 cents per pound. A pound of extract contains approximately 
the same amount of tannin as a pound of sumac leaf, if anything 
somewhat less than a pound of the properly gathered and cured leaf. 
In making sumac extract the tannin is extracted with large 
quantities of water which must be evaporated in expensive copper 
pans under skilled supervision and at some expense for fuel. When 
the extract is to be used, as much or more water than was evaporated 
in making it is added to secure a tanning or dyeing solution of the 
desired strength. 
DISPOSAL OF EXTRACTED MATERIAL. 
So far as can be learned, no really useful method of disposing of 
the extracted leaves is in general use. The material is placed in 
large piles or ricks, or used to fill in waste places. A small quantity 
is used on farm land as a top-dressing to be plowed under. Analyses 
of the commercially extracted material given in Table 5 show its 
fertilizing value. 
Table 5. — Fertilizing value of commercially extracted sumac leaves and leaf stems and 
stalks. 
Sample 
No. 
Part of plant. 
Mois- 
ture. 
Cal- 
cium 
oxid. 
Potas- 
sium 
oxid. 
Phos- 
phorus 
pen- 
toxid. 
. Ash. 
Total. 
Cal- 
cium 
oxid. 
Potas- 
sium 
oxid. 
Phos- 
phorus 
pen- 
toxid. 
32479 
32482 
32479. 
32482 
Leaves and leaf 
do 
Stalks 
Per cent. 
5. 70 
5. 33 
4.59 
4.59 
Per cent. 
1.66 
1.95 
1.31 
1.44 
Per cent. 
0.11 
.09 
.39 
.17 
Per cent. 
0.23 
.20 
.15 
.11 
Per cent. 
5. 13 
5. 32 
3.43 
3.24 
Per cent. 
32. 36 
36. 65 
38. 19 
41.36 
Per cent. 
2.14 
1.69 
11.37 
5.24 
Per cent. 
4. 48 
3.76 
4.37 
3.39 
