The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-06

THAT f.u are not more generally used
by both sexes in this country Is doubtless
because of their expensiveness, and not
from want of appreciation Of their great
utility, richness and beauty. 1t y no ex-
travagsnce to assert that every farmers
family may furnish their own fur collar,
gloves, robes, and other articles of dress
and ornament, with trifling expense, from
the resources within their own reach but
from want of more knowledge on this sub
iect valuable skins are wasted or disposed
of for mere fraction of their real value,
and articles of apparel that should have
been made from them are bought at ex-
travagant prices of fur DEALERS
The skins OF raccoons. minks, muskrats,
rabbits, foxes, deer, cats, dogs, wood
chucks, and skunks are all valuable
skins of the last two animals, and the
writer has seen fur coats made from the
skins of woodchucks, well tanned, dyed,
and trimmed, which were elegant as well
a. comfortable, and no one but q con-
noisseur would be able to guess their on.
gin Of the finer and nicer furs, beautiful
collars, muffs, cuffs, caps, gloves, and trim
mings may be made with little ingenuity
and perseverance; and who would not
feel great satisfaction in wearing q nice
article from the fact that it was something
of their own manufacture. q product Of
their own taste and geniuss
Very handsome 1oor-mats are made BY
tanning sheep-pelts and then dyeing them
some bright color, which is done with
very little trouble, the art of dyeing Is now
80 familiar to almost every household
Furs may be dyed as easily a. wooden
goods, notwithstanding the impression
that it is an art known only to the trade
Any dye that will color woolens win also
dye furs, only care must be taken not to
have the dye too hot or the texture of the
skin will be injured.
The mode of tanning usually followed
by city furriers is to rub the skins well
with rancid butter, then tread them thor
oughly in tub or vat, after which large
quantity of sswdust is mixed with them,
and the process of treading continued
until all the grease is absorbed, when they
are finished of by beating, working, and
rubbing with chalk and potter's clay
whipping and brushing.
An old trspper practiced this method
with small skins, first washing with sudi
of soap and sal.soda to free them from
grease, then rinsing in clean water to
cleanse them from the suds, then rubbing
as dry as possible, after which they were
put into q mixture of two ounces of salt
to quart of water, added to three quarts
of milk or bran-water, containing one
ounce of best sulphuric acid, and stirred
briskly for forty or fifty minutes; from
this they are taken dripping into q strong
solution Of sal-soda and stirred till they
will no longer foam they are then hung
to dry, and when nearly dry sre taken
down and rubbed dry, when they are very
soft and pliable.
A very good and simple process in use
among farmers is to sprinkle the flesh side,
after scraping it well, with equal parts OF
pulverized alum and salt, or washing il
well with strong solution of the same,
then folding the flesh side together, and
rolling it compsctly, in which state II
should remain for eight or ten days; then
it is opened, sprinkled with bran or saw
dust to absorb the moisture, and rolled up
again and after remaining twenty -four
hours the process is completed by thor
ough rubbing and manipulation, on which
the pliability depends. Skins when taken
off should be freed from grease or flesh,
by thorough scraping, when they may be
dried and left to await the leisure Of the
owner. Previous to tanning they must
be well soaked and wrung dry.-Amsriean
Artisan.