The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
1513 
A New Map of Europe 
Very few of ns seem to realize how the 
map of Europe is being changed. One of 
our readers in South Dakota is planning 
to visit Denmark and Germany during 
the year, and he wants to know where 
Ids old home town of Apenrade is located. 
It may seem strange to think of a town 
being moved, but this town is in Northern 
Schleswig, and it lias been reported that 
this province, or part of it, has passed 
under the control of Denmark. We wrote 
the Secretary of State about this, and 
he tells us that under the terms of the 
Peace Treaty three sections of this prov¬ 
ince are to vote whether they will join 
Denmark or continue to remain a part 
of Germany. This vote has not been 
taken up, but there seems to be no reason 
why a man should not go to Apenrado' 
through Copenhagen on the Danish 
Steamship Line. The Department does 
not at this time issue any passports to 
American citizens for use in Germany. 
Americans who enter Germany at this 
time do so at their own risk, and on 
their own responsibility, and they must 
not expect to receive the usual protection 
given to Americans while traveling in 
foreign countries. 
Tanning Woodchuck Skins 
On page 134G you have an article on 
trapping woodchucks, telling that the fur 
makes nice warm clothing when tanned 
by home processes, and that it is valuable 
as rawhide. Will you tell me how to tan 
and cure the skins for rawhide? The 
woodchuck is plentiful around here, and 
I would make use of their fur if I knew 
rlu- above. s. h. s. 
Pennsylvania. 
There are about as many methods of 
tunning as there are men who tan, but 
one of the best for the home practitioner 
is as follows: Stretch the skin and dry 
it thoroughly, but slowly, and in the 
shade. Fresh skins may he tanned, but 
the preliminary drying enables one to 
better remove the particles of fat and 
flesh that adhere to the skin. Soak the 
skin in soft water, tin* temperature of 
which is considerably below 100 degrees, 
until it is soft, and pliable. And in all 
future processes hear in mind that if the 
the temperature rises above 100, it. will 
so change the character in the integu¬ 
ment around the roots of the hairs that 
in after years the hairs will pull out. 
When thoroughly soaked lay the skin 
upou a bench and remove every particle 
of membrane. This cau best be done by 
scraping with a wooden knife. Notice 
that there are places in the hide that 
are much thicker than others. T*se u 
wooden mallet and pound lightly till the 
hide i- of an even texture throughout. 
Add soap to the water, immerse the hide 
as often as necessary, and with a comb 
and brush remove all dirt, knots and 
tangles and comb out and brush until 
the hairs are smooth and straight. Wring 
it as dry as possible, and pull and stretch 
it in all directions, and throughout all the 
processes the more it is manipulated in 
this manner, the softer and more pliable 
the skin will be when cured. 
Dissolve two ounces of alum in two 
quarts of water. This will be necessary 
for one skin, but a pound of alum dis¬ 
solved in four gallons of water will an¬ 
swer for a great many. Immerse the 
skins in this and let them remain over 
night. Then lay them upon a bench, 
with the flesh side up. Stretch them 
until they are free from wrinkles. Mix 
salt and alum, equal parts, iu powdered 
form, and spread upou the skin. Rub iu 
until the skin will absorb no more. Spread 
a thick layer over the skin, fold length¬ 
wise, roll tightly from head to tail, tie, 
and let lie iu a cool place for 24 hours. 
Repeat the process as long as the skin 
will absorb auy of the mixture. This 
should require about four rubbings. When 
thoroughly cured the skin must be washed 
repeatedly until the mixture is wholly 
removed, then washed in soapsuds and 
dried. Wheu dry it should be as soft 
and as flexible as a piece of chamois 
skin. If not in this condition il is an 
indication that the alum mixture has not 
done its work, and another application 
will be necessary in order to bring it to 
this condition, if desired. It should he 
remembered, however, that the fur of the 
woodchuck i« iu prime condition for but 
a very short time, and that is just before 
going into Winter quarters. During the 
greater part of the season the hair is 
short, stiff and thin. 
If it is desired to make leather for the 
manufacture of gloves, mittens, moccasins 
or similar articles, spread a thick coating 
of ashes on the flesh side, fold together, 
and bury in damp, cool earth until the 
hair will readily slip off. This should 
require from three to live days. Scrape 
off the hair and immerse the hide iu soft 
soap for 24 hours. Scrape off the soap 
and apply the salt-alum mixture and pro¬ 
ceed as before. After the last drying 
immerse in neat’s-foot oil for 4s hours. 
Scrape off the oil and rub with powdered 
chalk until the chalk will take up no 
more oil. 
If rawhide, for strings, for snowshoes 
or whiplashes is the product desired, pro- 
wed as in the last instance, but omit the 
salt-alum mixture entirely, and use ouly 
enough chalk to remove the superficial 
oil. Heavy leather for boots, shoes and 
harnesses can be made at home, hut by 
different processes, and by using larger 
and heavier skins. c. o. O. 
Support of Grown-up Children 
As I well know the general reliability 
of information published in The R. N.-Y. 
and your intention to publish nothing 
misleading, permit me to suggest that 
you may be in error in the opinion as to 
responsibility for care of the insane, 
page 1340. While I am not a lawyer, I 
understand that in my native State and 
most other States, a parent’s responsi¬ 
bility for care and support of a child 
ceases when the child becomes of age, 
and I naturally supposed the same to be 
true in New York State until a lawyer 
told me differently. Some years ago, 
Mrs. H. O., residing in a house adjoining 
the one in which I have now lived for 
about twenty years, became bedridden 
and a town charge. She was then I 
should say past 50, and her father, who 
lived in Buffalo and owned property in 
this village, was said to be at that time 
past 90 years of age. Nevertheless our 
poormaster, after taking legal counsel, 
compelled him to provide support for the 
remainder of her life. The lawyer who 
handled this matter assured me at the 
time that parents were bound for life in 
this State. for the support of indigent 
children. While this may not seem to 
some just right, it is offset by the fact 
that, parents inherit property from chil¬ 
dren that, in many States would be in¬ 
herited by brothers and sisters or more 
distant relatives. 
In more recent years there was dis¬ 
cussion of a proposed law to make more 
distant relatives, in this State, respon¬ 
sible for the support of indigent, and 
especially insane relatives. I am of the 
impression that such is now the law, un¬ 
less there has been a recent repeal. 
E. A. P. 
Further investigation into the legal 
status of indigent children of living par¬ 
ents confirms your statements as to the 
liability of a father for an indigent son 
of legal age. I am told by a competent 
legal authority that, while it is not cus¬ 
tomary in this State to hold parents re¬ 
sponsible for the support of grown chil¬ 
dren, they may be so held iu case of need. 
On the other hand, children may be com¬ 
pelled to support indigent parents if they 
are financially able. I do not know just 
what exceptions to these rules may be 
made in the case of the insane, but in 
my observation, covering a considerable 
number of years, 1 have not known of the 
State requiring relatives or friends of 
indigent insane adults to contribute to 
their support iu a State hospital, though 
inquiry is always made into the financial 
standing of any adult committed to such 
au institution, and, if possessed of prop¬ 
erty, he is required to reimburse the 
State for his care. Even here, the State 
seems to he lenient if there are de¬ 
pendents to be supported from the pa¬ 
rent’s income. M. u. )>. 
‘ King Drag" for Fitting Wheat Land 
(Continued from page 1482) 
cause them to fissure, and the sun and 
wind do the rest of it, and it fills the 
loose eartli into the slices, so that with 
even only one going over with disk or 
Acme, one lias a very acceptable .seed 
bed; but to make sure I repeat both 
workings. r„ BUPPIN'. 
Lancaster Co., l’a. 
R. N.-Y.—The original King drug was 
a split log—the two halves held apart by 
bolts or wooden braces. This gave a sort 
of double action scraping, which proved 
most useful in working the roads smooth. 
Wheu used right after a rain this drag 
will keep the roads smooth and even. 
Many farmers use a plank drag for fit¬ 
ting the soil, with the planks lapped so 
as to work something like the King drag. 
This is the first, time we have heard of 
this drag used as Mr. Ruppin describes. 
“What’s the idea of sitting in the barn 
here all by yourself?” “Well,” answered 
Farmer Corntossel, “if the Summer board¬ 
ers aren’t playin’ jazz on the phonograph 
they're quarrelin’ over the league of na¬ 
tions. so I’m lingerin’ out here with the 
cattle and restin’ my mind.”—Washing¬ 
ton Star. 
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