Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-02-15
MATERIALS FOR TANNING.

MATERIALS FOR TANNING. -
coAMUSIeATxD roR THE NATIONAL ISTELLIsEscER.
New YoRK, DECEMBER %, 1850.
SIR Permit mo 10 call the attention of the Department
Of the Intero subject which the writer deems Of some i'm
portance to tie agricultural manufacturing and commercial
interests of tte country
The Of hides and skins of animals into various
kinds Of estAer ranks next in point of and value
that Of iron, dOtton, and wool.
Since the mmer Of Is4s, have more or less been en-
gagged in the Investigation and development Of method
Of tanning. fol which letters patent granted H. Hb.
bard in Octob, ls49, and which afterwards assigned
by him to me
Peneing th experiments and investigations which have
alluded above my attention necessarily called, only
the different species of hides and skins used and the va
riess of leather made heeom, but also the several kinds
Of tanning materials their cost and the resources of the
try supply for the future the continually increasing demand
The chief materials used in this country are the bark Of
hemlock and several varieties Of oak American and Sicily
sumac and ca,echu, terra aponca. Henock and oak
bark principally employed in tanning meats hides for
making SOLE upper and harness leather American and Sicily
for tanning goat and sheep SKINS in making morocco
roans nihgs bindings trimmings, &C. Terra aponica has
not been used to any great amount hitherto, but be-
ginning to be employed extensively, especially in and
around large es where oak and hemock have become
and dear It is seldom used alone, but in
conjunction with oak bark or sumach
The relative tanning value Of these different articles is
about follows Catechu, aponic has been deter
mined to possess about fifty per cent Of annin, and
that pound Of will make many Of leather rs
six pounds Of oak bark English oakland as
many three pounds of Sicily sumach. American sumac
reckond only half good the foreign hence pound
aponica should be equal to six pounds of the American
and consequently its tanning value equal to that Of English
oak Hemock is considered by tanners possessing nearly
double the annin Of our Northern oak.
But the relative quality Of the leather made from these diff
ferent varieties of annn nearly in the inverse order Of their
quantities. that is oakanned leather esteemed the most
superior in quality that Of American and Sicily sumac the
while that Of hemock is quite INFERIOR and that Of a-
ponica the most 50 Of all.
The cost Of Sicily and terra japonica from sixty
five to hundred dollars per ton that Of American
about thirty FIVE dollars that Of oak bark from three ten
dollars per cord and that Of hemock from three to six dollars
per cord One cord is equal about fifteen hundred pounds
hree-fourhs Of Within the last six month"; the
price Of aponca has advanced from seventy to one hundred
dollars per ton. 'a
nave SAID tna Oak-anned leather esteemed the best
is probable. however, that would make equally
good, but the quantity is too limited and the price high
allow Of its being used in the manufacture Of the heavier
kinds Of upper leather but must be used in making
roans white leather and such kinds to be colored
and finished without curryng in oil, &c. very large
goat and vheep skins thus tanned finished and
used for making and chidens shoes aso for bind
ing of books trimming Of carages furniture and fancy ar-
wise for the purpose of dying cotton fabrics, immense
Of sumo required But the quantity grown in
this country andbrouga, into market very limited Besides
contains only about half the amount of annn of the foreign
article and hence the great imported and this brings
the pointto which wish especially to call the aen
ton Of the Department Of the Government and Of the public
Our Southern and Western States, particularly the former
are BY coil and climate admirably adapted to the growth and
culture Of this desped and neglected but most useful shrub
would therefore, respectfully suggest that our Government
direct consuls other suitable persons, located the
borders Of the Mediterranean to procure and snsmt to this
country seeds plants of those species of employed
tanning and dyeng, known to botansts by the Of
Rhus Coaa and Rhus Conus. Both Of these varieties
natives Of Italy and the south Of France and cultivated
for the above mentioned purposes that is the Rhus Coriaa
chiefly for tanning and the Rhus Conus for dyeng In
sructons might be given also to inquire into the modes Of
culture curing grinding and preparing for market ALSO
to the amount and cost Of the product per acre.
1t would not be surprising ownhe American varie-
ty-Rhus Glabra Vrgniana, might not be cultivated to
advantage especially grows and fourshes the poorer
Soils hardly adapted any other profitable This sub
ect would therefore commend itself especially those
planters who own large of land exhausted by the cul
ture of tobecco &c. aa tae
But labor and eKpense required to cultivate
or to produce ton, will be the same is important to OBJ
tain those species which the richest in tannn and coong
matter and the foreign supposed TO possess about double
those OF the American.
By the Introduction and culture Of the best foreign varieties
Of sumsc, it may in few years be made to supply not
only the demand for home consumption. butbecome article
Of export those countries Especially Great Ban) which
grea, quantities, and must buy and import it, be-
cause they cannot grow it, Its consumption for dyeng cotton
goods well for tanning leather great it il,
continually increase, unless substitute should be dis
covered.
Having said thus much 1t 10 unnecessary to add more
other arguments to establish the proposition with which
commenced, that this subject Of reatmporance
the agricultural commercial and manufacturing interests
IF our country. The above statements and suggestions
respectfully submitted to the consideration Of the Department
With due regard, your obedient servant
w. w. REID.
Hon. ALxxAspKR H. H. STUART,
Secretary Of Interior.
NIcARAeUA.-Though the arrangements of the Atlantic
nd Pacific Ship Canal Company are far from being per-
eced the steamer Director had at las. accounts commenced
egusr sem-weeky trips Lake Nicaragua, running the
fn,r g. IN