Method  of  tanning  Leather . r 1 7 
and  even  more  tedious  than  our  common  method,  and 
muft  make  but  very  indifferent  leather. 
When  the  raffing  is  accomplifhed,  the  leather  is  put 
into  the  handlers,  and  worked  in  them  for  the  requifite 
time;  then  laid  away  in  the  vatts,  and  there  left  to  mace- 
rate until  the  tanning  is  found  to  be  completely  fmifhed, 
which,  for  the  heavieft  kind  of  leather,  fuch  as  this  of 
which  I am  now  fpeaking,  requires  from  firft  to  laft  full 
two  years.  At  leaf!:,  the  tanners  of  this  country  cannot 
make  foal-leather  in  lefs  time;  what  they  are  able  to. 
perform  in  England,  I am  not  fo  thoroughly  acquainted 
with. 
It  is  this  tedioufnefs  of  the  procefs  which  enhances 
the  value  of  leather;  and  the  returns  being  fo  flow,  the 
trade  of  tanning  never  can  be  carried  on  to  advantage, 
but  by  perfons  poflefTed  of  a large  capital;  therefore,  one 
lure  way  of  increafing  the  number  of  tanners,  and  of 
courfe  of  bringing  down  the  price  of  their  manufacture, 
is  to  fhorten  the  procefs;  and  if  at  the  fame  time  we  cam 
improve  the  quality  of  the  leather,  and  fave  fomewhat 
in  the  expence  of  tanning  materials,  the  public  will  be 
effentially  benefited  in  refpeCt  to  one  of  the  neceffary 
articles  of  life. 
All 
