The Democratic advocate., 1874-02-07
surnae.


Sumac is largely used in tanning the
iner kinds Of leather, especially in the
manufacture N Of the hard grained moroccOs
and similar goods. 1t is also employed as
the base Of many colors in calico and iie-
lame printing. Probably the cOnsump-
tion of this article throughout the country
for all purposes aggregates more than 20
600 tuns, Of which about two,thirds are
imported from Sicily, not because just as
good sumac cannot be grown in this coun-
try, but because, until few years ago, our
people did not know its value, or in what
way to prepare it for the market. The
sumaes of Virginia, Maryland, and Ten
nessee in particular are said to be the best
in the world, and even their worst varie-
ties have been officially pronounced BY ex-
perts to be better than any imported from
Sicily.
Almost every farmer has clump Of
these bushes. They are called by some
''shOemake," by others 'red shOemake.
Probably many farmers may have tried to
kill them BY cutting down. If they have,
they know how difficult task it is. 1t
grows like asparagus, all the better for be-
ing cut; and when once started upon lot
and cut close once year, it is as easy to
cut as corn fodder.
The only trouble is in curing it proper
ly. This must be done with all the care
that is bestowed upon tobacco or hops.
Exposure, after cutting, to heavy dew
INJURIES it, and rain storm detraets mate
rally from its value. 1t is cut when in
full leaf; aud when properly dried is ground,
leaves and sticks together. An acre in
full bearing viii produce not less than three
tuns; and when ft for market, it is worth
from eighty to one hundred dollars tun,
The manufacturers" as the cures are
called, pay one cent a pound. for it in a
green state.
A sumac mill costs about $4,000. The
Commissioner of Agriculture gave an out.
line Of mill in his report for 1869. II
thirty farmers would unite in an effort to
establish sumac mill, each planting out
a few acres, says the Ohio Farmer, We
have no doubt the enterprise would prove
far more remuneutive than either corn OF
wheat, and be the means of inauguratine
a new enterprise in their State. There is
no danger Of an oyerstock The demand
is daily increasing, for hemlock is growing
scarce, and every day new tanneries and
dye houses are going into operation.
The Commissioner of Agrie ulture ad
yises to plant in rows in order to cultivate
between, either by seed or cutting Of the
roots. We should advise cuttings by al
means, as sumac is as tenacious of life a:
the blackberry or horse radish. Ii will
never need but one planting, and the croE
can be gathered any time from July to tbs
time of frost. If it is cut later in the
season, and annually, the leaves and the
stocks can be ground together If the
cut ting is delayed until the stock has
formed into solid wood, the leaves must be
stripped from the stock, and the stock is
thus wasted. 1t is doubtful if anything is
gained in the weight of leaves after the
middle of July, at which time almost every
tree has completed what is called ''6rst
growth" for the season. An auction sale
of l .4O6 bags of Sicily sumac, damaged on
the voyage of importation, recently took
place in Philadelphia, and will serve to
indicate the value of the article :-lO2 bags
sold at s53 per ton; 81 bags sold at s45;
l7s bags at s72; 200 bags at $50; 221 at
s66; 53l at $40, and i37 bags at $50 per
ton.