30 
Indian Forest Records. 
[Vol. III. 
reduction if regular and large supplies are contracted for, or if the 
collection is methodically undertaken by the manufacturer direct. The 
wholesale cost at Mergui is R15 per ton, and it stands to reason that 
at this rate the dealer must be making some profit after allowing for 
transport of the bark from the forest ito the market. Though exact 
figures at which the bark can be extracted are not known, the total cost 
of the collection of bark per ton by direct agency may be safely placed 
at not more than RIO per ton, which would work out to about R15 per 
ton delivered at a factory near Rangoon. Besides it has been noticed 
that the bark merchant sells his dry and fresh bark at the same rates. 
Hence a further reduction seems possible were the manufacturer to have 
his own drying sheds in the forests and were the material to be air-dried 
before shipping. Taking the moisture of fresh bark to be 50 per cent, 
the cost of the freight per ton is reduced at once by half, and the total 
cost is thus reduced from R15 to R12-8 per ton delivered in the vicinity 
of Rangoon. 
If the bark is to be at all purchased in the open market, it must be 
done on its percentage contents of tannin and moisture. The Mangrove 
barks vary much in quality, and it would be unbusiness-like to pay for 
good as well as for bad barks at the same rate. The price of ir-dried 
bark containing about 30 per cent, of tannin with a moisture content of 
10 per cent, say, might be fixed at the maximum of R20 per ton delivered 
at the factory. 
The Locality. —Rangoon, however suitable in other respects, is not an 
ideal place for a tannin factory, the successful working of which depends 
on the cheapness and the good quality of the bark. It should be estab¬ 
lished as close to the Mangrove forests as may be feasible. Mergui 
would be a much better site. The bark from Andamans can also be 
brought there. The price of the raw material would of itself fall to R15 
per ton even if the bark is purchased in the open market, and as said 
above, it is possible to reduce it still further if the factory collects it by 
its own agency. 
Another apparent advantage will be its proximity to the sources of 
the supply of fuel. There is no reason why the wood of this Mangrove 
after the bark has been removed should not be used as fuel. The supply 
of fuel of other kinds also is abundant and cheap at Mergui. 
The Yield of the Extract .—It has already been shown that Mangrove 
barks of good quality should at least yield 50 per cent, of solid extract 
247 
