722 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
May 14, 1921 
-- J —)! 
FERTILIZER 
MATERIALS 
FOR HOME MIXING 
BARIUM-PHOSPHATE 
Containing 
28% Phosphoric Acid 7% Barium Sulphide 
NITRATE OF POTASH 
A nalyzing 
42% Actual Potash 12% Nitrogen 
NITRATE OF SODA 
MURIATE OF POTASH 
SULPHATE OF POTASH 
SOFT TENNESSEE PHOSPHATE 
32% Phosphoric Acid 
Write for our prices on these and othfer 
Agricultural Chemicals before buying. 
WITHERBEE, SHERMAN & CO. 
2 Rector Street, New York 
PAINT 
$ 1.25 
PER 
Gallon 
ORDER DIRECT FROM FACTORY 
We will send you as many gallons as you 
want of good quality red or brown 
BARN PAINT 
upon receipt of remittance. We arc paint special¬ 
ists and can supply you with paint for any pur¬ 
pose. Tell us your wants and let us quote you 
low prices. We can save you money by shipping 
direct from our factory. SatisfactionGuarauteed. 
On orders for thirty aallons or over we will prepay the 
freight within a radius of three hundred miles. 
AMALGAMATED PAluY CO. 
Factory: 372 WAYNE ST.. JERSEY CITY. N. J. | 
M 
PURIFINE" FEEDING 
Barrel or Train Load 
Same Quality as Used in Our 
METROPOLITAN MILLS 
Colebratod Molasses Feeds 
Write for Our Booklet and Prices 
THE MEAOEfl-ATLAS CO.. 107 Hudson St., New York 
DIGESTER TANKAGE 
MAKES PICS CROW 
Write for prices, feed¬ 
ing directions, etc. 
IDEAL RENDERING CO. 
NORTH WALES, PA. 
DEITI TO REIVES! REWToh’S 
temper and IndlgestionCom- 
pound. Relieves Heavci 
by correcting the cause 
— Indigestion. Prevent* 
Colic, Stagger*. Best 
_ Conditioner and Worm 
Expeller. 21 years sale. Three 
large cans guaranteed for Heaves or money refunded. 
*5e and $1.S0 per can (Includes war tax), at dealers or by 
mall. Largest package, dose is small, cheapest to use. 
THE NEWTON REMEDY COMPANY, Toledo, Ohio 
^:L@0 
Destroy Smut 
Smut decreases yield—every 
farmer knows this. Those who 
negledt to cleanse seed with 
Formaldehyde must suffer a 
needless loss. Formaldehyde, 
the Standard seed grain disin- 
fedant, destroys all smuts of 
wheat, grain, barley, rye. 
FORMALDEHYDE 
* “Fa he Farmer'^ Friend 
Oat Seed Treatment—to each three gal¬ 
lons of water add one ounce of Formal¬ 
dehyde. With this solution wet every 
seed by soaking or sprinkling. Then 
cover for ten hours with sacksdipped in 
Formaldehyde solution. Dry out grain 
by spreading on clean floor. Stir repeat¬ 
edly with clean implements. Your dealer 
has our Formaldehyde —one pint treats 
40 bushels. Send for new Hand Book. 
Perth Amboy Chemical Works 
709-717 SIXTH AVENUE NEW YORK 
12 
Grow Hogs and Poultry 
on Xenri-Solid Rut t er milk 
T DA DC MA RK 
Quick, Economical Growth Means 
Less Feed, Less Time, More Money 
Experienced feeders know the value of pure, rich 
buttermilk. Semi-Solid Buttermilk is fresh creamery 
buttermilk with water taken out. Averages 500 lbs. 
to a barrel and makes 1000 gallons of rich butter¬ 
milk feed. All you do is add water. Ideal to mix 
and use in combination with grain, mash and other 
feed. Also acts as a wonderful tonic and conditioner. 
Keeps stock healthy and full of pep. Nothing better 
for weanling pigs and baby chicks. Write TODAY for 
further information on Semi-Solid' Buttermilk, and 
facts about Feeding for Profit. 
Consolidated Products Co. I. H. Ncstcr A Co. 
Dept. 2240 Dept. 2240, No. 3 Chestnut St. 
Lincoln, Nebraska Philadelphia, Pa. i 
PERFECTION ANTI-COW KICKER 
THE MOORE BROS., IS CREEN STREET. ALBANY, N. Y 
“The Best Farm Stories Ever Written” 
Tiie Hope Farm man is known and loved in thousands of farm 
homes all over the country. His “Hope Farm Notes,” which appear 
in The Rural New-Yorker each week, arc eagerly read by both young 
and old and are often called the ‘‘Best Farm Stories Ever Written.” 
A number of the best of these stories which have appeared during the 
past 20 years have been selected and printed in an attractive 224-page 
hook called 
“Hope Farm Notes” 
These stories are filled with the subtle humor, the sound philosophy 
and the kindly spirit which are so characteristic of the author. 
The following are a few of the best stories contained in the book: 
“Louise”— The sad story of n self-sacrificing 
young gill who was a member of the 
Hope Farm Family. Her heroic efforts 
to become self-supporting, and her tragic 
death when victory was in sight, will 
bring tears to the eyes of the reader. 
“Uncle Kd's Uhllosophy”— Uncle Ed was 
from the South and you will enjoy his 
humorous views upon th* hustle and 
bustle of Northern Life. 
“Grandmother” —This is the story of a 
dear old lady who won a place in the 
hearts of all the Hope Farm Family. 
“The Sunny Side of the Barn” —If you 
were ever a boy on a farm you will enjoy 
the Hope Farm story of his boyhood day* 
on a Cape Cod Farm. 
There are many other stories contained in this book, which will 
hold the interest of the reader from start to finish, and can be read 
time and time again with pleasure. 
SPECIAL OFFER 
The Hope Farm man has personally autographed 100 copies of 
this book, and we believe many readers will especially prize a copy 
of the book containing the author’s signature. There are a few of these 
autographed copies left, and as long as the supply lasts they will be sent 
to readers of The Rural New-Yorker who order promptly from this 
advertisement. 
Rural New-Yorker, 333 West 30th Street, New York 
Notes About Tanning 
Home Tanning 
Is it possible for a farmer to tan a 
hide with the hair off. and will the leather 
be as good as that done by the tannery? 
If so. how can the hair be removed and 
tanning done on a salted hide? What is 
wrong? Hides are quoted around 10c in 
the market, and the farmers here are 
getting from 2 to 5 cents a pound. 
Medina. (). E. R. b. 
I assume that the inquirer has refer¬ 
ence to a leather suitable for the making 
of boots and harnesses. Of late years a 
large part of the leather of this kind has 
been made by what is known as the 
chrome process. This requires but about 
three weeks’ time, and produces a leather 
at a less cost than the hark process. Such 
leather is. however, slightly inferior to 
bark tanned leather in both tensile 
strength and wearing qualities, hut the 
process is not at all adapted for home 
manufacture. 
In the early history of New England 
all leather was tunned upon the farm, and 
it was customary for the itinerant cob¬ 
bler to go from house to house, making 
and repairing the harnesses and the boots 
and shoes for the entire family. This 
practice continued in the more remote 
districts until the opening of the Civil 
War, and possibly for some time after¬ 
wards. and this home-tanned leather be¬ 
came an important article of trade at the 
country stores. Each town annually 
elected an inspector of leather, whose 
duty it was to settle all disputes regard¬ 
ing tin* quality of such leather. This 
office is maintained, at least in Vermont, 
until the present time. Either hemlock 
or oak hark was used, and the process 
was essentially the same as at the pres¬ 
ent time. Hemlock bark produces a 
leather of a decided reddish-brown color 
and of slightly better wearing qualities 
than oak bark and is somewhat better 
adapted for the manufacture of footwear. 
Oak bark gives a white leather, slightly 
tinged with yellow. It lias greater ten¬ 
sile strength, and is preferred to hemlock 
tanned leather for belts and harnesses. 
The genuine so-called Russia leather is 
tanned with hw-ch hark, but very little 
is made in this country. 
The hide is first spread upon the 
ground, flesh side up. and one side is 
covered with a thick layer of hardwood 
ashes. Then it is folded in such a man¬ 
ner as to bring every portion of the flesh 
side in contact with the ashes, and laid 
away in a cool. damp, dark place until 
the hnir will slip readily. Then it is 
cleaned of the ashes, spread upon a bench, 
flesh side down, and the hair is removed. 
In the absence of a tool designed for the 
purpose, a hog-sera per. such as is used 
for removing the bristles from a pig at 
butchering time, answers very well. Then 
the hide is turned over and every particle 
of fleshy integument is removed. For 
convenience in handling the head and legs 
and other outlying parts are removed, 
and the hide is brought to the form of a 
palallelogram. And generally, also, it is 
split, sometimes into two halves, by a 
cut straight down the back, and some¬ 
times into three pieces by two parallel 
cuts down the sides. This depends upon 
the comparative thickness of the skin. 
Tt. is now ready for the vat. This may 
be a box or a barrel, or any water-tight 
receptacle of sufficient size. 
Meantime the hark has been prepared. 
Possibly, for tanning a single hide, it 
may he shaved from the tree with a draw- 
knife. hut the usual practice is to peel It 
from the logs cut in May or June, when 
rhe new growth of the tree has loosened 
it. The hide is placed in a vat. and 
about three shovelfuls of the bark, broken 
into hits not larger than small peas, 
spread upon it. Sufficient water is now 
added to cover it. and it is allowed to lie 
for fully two months. It is not neces¬ 
sary to pull and stretch it. but it must 
be turned and worked frequently to pre¬ 
vent the formation of wrinkles and 
creases, which would cause uneven tan¬ 
ning. After two months the hide is 
taken from the vat. partially dried and 
worked down to the desired thinness. In 
the absence of a tool for the purpose and 
the skill with which to use it. this may 
be done with sandpaner. In the large 
establishments it is Horn* by a machine 
which takes off a thin sieving covering 
the entire side, and this becomes a by¬ 
product of considerable value. The tan 
hark is removed from the liquor, drained 
and thrown away. The hide is returned 
to the vat and double the original quan¬ 
tity of pulverized bark is added. The 
hide is allowed to lie for another two 
months, when more bark is added, and 
it is allowed to remain in this strong 
liquor for for at least two months more. 
Within reasonable limits the longer it 
now remains the better will he the qual¬ 
ity of the leather. The trimmings are 
tanned at the same time and by the same 
process, except that the thinning is 
omitted, and they are allowed to remain 
in the last liquor for 18 months, and are 
used for sole leather. Were the strong 
decoction used in the first place, it would 
form an impervious coating which would 
prevent the liquor from reaching the in¬ 
terior. and this would remain untanned. 
When tanned, the hide is taken from 
the liquor, dried and blackened by being 
rubbed with a mixture of lampblack and 
lard oil. Lime is often used instead of 
ashes to remove the hair. It costs less 
and works more quickly, but requires 
careful attention or it will create an un¬ 
even texture, hence it is not so well 
adapted to the use of an amateur. Just 
as good leather can be made on the farm 
and by home practices as can he made in 
a tannery, hut whether it can be as 
economically made or not depends upon 
the price of leather and the value placed 
upon home labor. Whether the first at¬ 
tempt will result as satisfactorily or not 
can best he answered by asking if a man 
wholly unacquainted with cookery can 
take the right ingredients and a cook 
book and make as good a loaf of bread 
as his wife can make. I forgot to. say 
that the salted hide must be soaked in 
water until it is as pliable as when fresh 
and the salt is all drawn out of it. 
In the matter of the discrepancy be 
tween the quoted price for hides and the 
price that the farmer receives, there are 
many factors. ()ne is that the prices 
quoted are for slaughter-house hides, re¬ 
moved by men who know their business, 
and these are always more valuable than 
those removed by an unpraeticed farmer. 
First, the farmer wastes about 2 lbs. of 
tin* hide by his method of skinning the 
head. Second, the longitudinal slit from 
the throat to the tail is always waving, 
thus making a loss of two or more straps 
when cutting the hide into harness 
leather. Third, the tail bone is seldom 
if ever removed, almost invariably there 
is more flesh left upon the hide, and 
almost a* invariably there are several 
pounds of manure upon the flanks. All 
these odd to weight, without increasing 
the value. Then there are the cuts and 
scores, which are cuts bnly partially 
through the skin. Then there are the 
transportation charges, and last, hilt not 
least, are the profits, reasonable or abom¬ 
inable. of the junk dealer to whom the 
farmer sells, and of the commission man 
to whom tile junk man sells. All these 
count up. and if I knew liow to eliminate 
thorn I would soon he a rich man. 
C. 0. ORMSBEE. 
Tanning a Small Hide 
The pelt I treated according to Mr. 
Ormshee’s directions is finished, and made 
a present, to my son in Idaho. I took 
some fussing to put it over, and brought 
forth some mild criticism, such as wish¬ 
ing “that pelt in Halifax.” etc. Those 
pleasantries were all survived, and a good 
product resulted; in short. I had first- 
rate luck, and thank you all for it. It 
would seem that the ‘‘ruralite.” not hav¬ 
ing access to a tannery, and the hides 
that fall to his lot having no commercial 
value (steer and cow hides 3c today), he 
is quite excusable for his attempt to 
change them into an article that will be 
useful about the place. This. I suppose, 
is the ground for his questions that seem 
so simple to the tannery man. 
I would give a quarter to see a wood¬ 
chuck hide that. T tried to convert into 
something resembling leather back in the 
forests of Michigan about the time that 
Franklin Pierce was ending his term as 
President. It would make us all smile. 
T had heard some of the neighbors say 
that the hide of Mr. Chuck made good 
strings, and so very soon T had a mild 
ease of the tan fever. Referring back 
to my recent adventures in the realm of 
pelt, would say that if any of your read¬ 
ers have dressed one or more pelts and 
have tried coloring them. I would be much 
pleased if they would make known 
through The R.-N. Y. what success they 
had. w.H. 
Tanning Tail with Skin 
Will you tell me how to tan the tail on 
a hide? I have done very well with 
skunk with that exception. I used alum 
and saltpeter, but do not get all odor of 
oil from the tail. No skunk odor re¬ 
mains. MRS. W. B. TT. 
For convenience this should have beeu 
tanned at the same time the hide was 
tanned. In handling the skins of most of 
the small fur-bearers, it is customary to 
roll the tail under the foot until tin* bone 
loosens, and then to pull the hone from 
its socket. With most of them very little 
flesh or fat. will adhere to the interior, 
and the tail will be incidentally tanned 
sufficiently for all purposes during the 
regular tanning of the hide. The skunk, 
however, has an immense deposit of fat 
inside the tail, most of which will re¬ 
main attached to the skin, and will he 
liable to cause trouble in the future. The 
correct method is to slit down the under 
side of the tail, being careful not to cut 
any more of the long hairs than neces¬ 
sary. Remove the bone and fat and treat 
the skin of the tail precisely as the bal¬ 
ance of the hide was treated when being 
tanned. The sides will roll together, 
practically closing the incision, hut the 
closing may be further strengthened by 
taking a few stitches. But always have 
a small opening at the extreme end so 
that in case moisture should find its way 
into the socket it can readily drain out. 
In the present instance the oil lias be¬ 
come somewhat rancid and possibly the 
hairs have loosened. I would suggest 
that the solution of alum and saltpeter 
be made of double strength, in order to 
hold them. This should destroy all of¬ 
fensive odor. If it does not, rub thor¬ 
oughly with baking soda and powdered 
chalk. c. o. ORMSBEE. 
i 
