Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-07-13
Mr.. Sheldon's application Of Chestnut
mood, to the arts Of Tanning and
Dying.

l
mood, to the arts Of Tanning and
Dying.
his Journal of Science, makes the following re-
marks. +" We have repeated the most important
| of Mr.. Sheldon's experiments, both in relation
to tanning and dying, and are well satisfied that
the discoverer has not overrated, or enormously
estimated, the value of his own results. We
are persuaded that the highly useful arts alluded
! to, will derive important aid from the use oG a
material SO abundant and cheap as chestnut
wood"
From the american Journal Of Science
| TO PROFESSOR sILLIMAN.
| SPRINGFIELD, (Mass.) Feb 81, 1919.
DEAR SRI send you more particu
lar account of the newly discovered pro-
perties OF the chestnut.
This tree Fdgus Cdstanea, Linn. is
very abundant in the New England and
in the middle states; and occurs in the
mountainous districts as far southwark as
South Carolina, or perhaps even Georgia.
| 1t is one of the stateIiest trees OF the for
lest, scarcely less distinguished by the
beauty of its foliage than by the durability
| of its wood.
BY repeated analyses, conducted with
the minutest attention to every circnm-
stance which could ensure accuracy, ii
appears, incredible as it may seem, that
the chestnut mood contains twice as much
tannin as ross'd* [rasped] oak bark, aud
six seventies as much colouring matter
(which gives black with irony as log
wood. am aware that nothing could
be further from the common apprehension
than such results; but the uniform sue
cess Of great variety of experiments in
tanning and dying, in addition to the
other kind Of evidence, should satisfy the
most increduious
The leather tanned with it, has, in ey-
cry instance, been superior to that tanned
in comparative experiment, with oak
bark; being firmer, less porous, and at
the same time more pliable. TIE reason
for this difference will probably be found
in the high state Of orygenisement Of the
bark, particularly of the epidermis, by
which it is rendered, to certain degree,
acrid and corrosive. DIR. Bancroft was
perhaps the first who noticed the oxygen
izement of barks. He attributes the dark
brown colour Of the epidermis Of his quer-
citron, to this cause; and as a coDfrma-
ton Of the idea have observed that ink
made of the epidermis Of another kind OF
bark, though at first not to be distinguish
ed by the colour from that made of the
cellular and cortical parts, is incompara-
bly, less permanent.
As material for making ink, the wood
of the chestnut is perhaps unrivalled.
Combined with iron in any proportion, ii
gives as it is diluted or concentrated,
pure blue, or blue black; while gals, SUI
mach, &c. &c. unless combined with
greater proportion than is consistent with
the highest degree Of permanency, afford
a black more or less inclining TO reddish
brown. The lake of the chestnut is in
deed blue, and not TO be distinguished
by the eye from indigo; but when diffus-
ed on paper, this same substance becomes
an intense shining black. In dying, little
difference is observable between the chest
nut, and gals, and sumach, except that
the former has rather greater affinity for
wool, &c. than the latter, and Of course
requires less boiling. Its permanently has
been completely tested by long exposure
to the sun and weather; but no doubt can
exist on this head, if the position of Bar
thollet be true, that permanent blacks are
formed only by the combination Of iron
and tannin.
To prepare the chestnut wood for the
purposes Of tanning, mode has been de-
vised for reducing it to a suitable degree
of fineness. This method consists 10 the
application of knives either in the direc-
ton of or transversely TO the grain, by a
rotatory rotary motion. This mode OBJ
viously involves the greatest possible
economy Of moving power. Messrs. B.
and nj. Stebbins, of West-Springfeld, who
are making arrangements for going largely
into the expectation of the article, have
in construction machine upon this plan.
AS might be expected, the inspissated
aqueous extract Of the chestnut, bears a
near resemblance in many particulars, to
catechu. Professor Dewey, of Williams
College, who at my request has gone
through an extensive and elaborate course
of experiments, informed me that he OBJ
tanned quarter more Of the gelatinous
precipitate from the former, than from the
latter. BY the taste, the two substances
are not to be distinguished, except that
the former is more pungent. 1t leaves
upon the tongue the same permanent and
refreshing sweetness, for which the other