Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-01
Editor Times :.

OF Rale1Gn, n. -.
Editor Times:
In response to numerous articles
published in various journals l have
been overwhelmed with letters of in
uuiry from parties in all parts OF the
country, VINO ask for information as to
cultivation and process Of preparing
the ground or pulverizing sumac for
market as practiced abroad.
In answer to inquiries as to the cul-
tivation OF the plant as practiced in
Sicily and their mode Of manufactur
ing it for use, l forward herewith an
article taken from the Shoe and
Leather Reporter on the subject,
which is full, comprehensive and &C
curate. It is as follows:
There are in Paermo fifteen sumac
mills, twelve of which are now run by
steam The grinding IS done by stones
revolving on bed of the same. They
produce every year 10000 tons OF
sumac, valued at about 81 ,25O, 900, or
say So a ton III the storehouse for all
kinds. The wages of the employees
are said to be about three shillings or
seventy five cents day. The export
has doubled in the past three years.
1t is used i'll all the morocco factories
in Europe, and considerable quantities
come to the United States. No doubt
the superiority of Sicily sumac lies i'll
the mode of cultivating it, all the
leaves are the production of the young
sprouts that spring up from the stump
every year.
In Sicily they plant the roots from
two to three feet apart. i'll rows about
three feet, so that the pillow or harrow
can save the hand labor of the hoe.
! They hoe it two or three times before
the rains finish in May, and gather it
in July and August. The leaves are
the only parts used. The soil is pre-
pared as for potatoes, with burrows,
with which, during November, De-
cember and January, are placed the
| young suckers, two and half feet
apart. In August of the first year
the leaves on the lower part Of the
branches are drawn off with the
thumb and finger, leaving a tube on
the top. In October the whole head is
taken off, or sometimes broken and
left hanging by the bark till dry. The
second year, in June, the branches are
stripped OF ripe leaves; and in August
as soon as the whole plant is mature,
| IL 10 CuC Will 6lEki0 SlO"u 10 SIX
inches. 1t is then spread opt and
thoroughly dried on each side till
cured. The June gathering is omitted
when the plants are not strong. Two
thousand pounds of ground sumac to
an acre is considered a good crop.
After the root or stump is cut off
root, and when at maturity, which is
in July or August, they are cut off at
the stumps. In Sicily the article is
more or less adulterated with spurious
stuff, such as other kinds of leaves and
an article called "bucca," which re-
sembles the juniper bush of New Eng
land. This has no value in ITSELF
The Sicily sumac mills consist of
perpendicular running stones weighing
nearly 5000 pounds. They run double
or single round an upright shaft
| The foundation stone is one third
| greater in diameter than the running
stones, and they are of volcanic forma-
ton, as hard as marble. The grinding
surface is slightly roughened. The su-
mae is boltcd and packed as mrch as
it is with u.s. = X
l suppose that most of the people of
this country understand that the same
plant abounds in all countries border
ing the shores of the Mediterranean
Sea, and that on the island Of Sicily,
and in some Of the Rarbary States it
has been brought by cultivation to its
highest state of perfection for the use
Of tanners and dyers, and also for its
preparation for these uses.
The plant has constituted the staple
tanning agent of all the people border
ing the Mediterranean from time i'm
memorial. The leather trappings con-
nectel with the ancient armor of the
Phmnicans. Egyptians, Carthagenians,
Greeks and Romans. relics of which
are to be seen in Westminster Abbey
in a good State of preservation indicate
that these ancient people had
attained a high degree of per-
lection in the art of manufac-
pal tanning agent used in its produc-
ton was the sumac. There are now
kept on exhibition in glass cases in the
Antiquarian Halls in the city of Cor
dova. full sets of Moorish horse trap
pings-saddles, brides, &c.,-in good
state OF preservation, which at the
time of the expulsion of the Moors
from Spain, had been preserved by the
luAOSlS 1oi IICiS Iuau uV0 centuries
in memory of celebrated Saracen
knights, or Moorish warriors by
whom they were used. Mr.. Irving
says this leather has every appearance
of having been tanned with sumac.
There is certainly no tanning agent
USED IN the manufacture of leather
when properly used-that imparts to it
greater frmness and fexibility. The
liquors, however, should be kept
sweet, matter quite difficult where
ground sumac is used, which is so liza
bic to fermentation.
Our knowledge of the manufacture
of morocco was derived from the
Moors, who brought with them into
Spain higher perfection in many of
the manufacturing arts, than was then
known to thepeople of Europe. Tangi-