The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-02-01
One of Florida's Resources.

CWelNe years, Is Cne superior resources winch
Florida possesses for the production of tar
min and for the home manufacture of leath-
er. We have two sources from either of
which there might be obtained enough tan.
min to supply the leather manufacturers o.
the world, namely, tie palmetto of various
species and the mangrOve of South Florida
Tannin is obtained for the most part from
bark, especially OF the oak and bemlock,
necesstatng the destruction of valuable
timber trees. Palmetto, which is an incum-
brance of the soil, contains wO-thirds as
much tannn as the best oak bark, and one
third more than hemloclI bark. Mangrove
is three times richer in tannn than oak, and
it may be obtained with the greatest ease
and in vast quantities on the southern coast.
The value of palmetto for this purpose is
the subject of an article in the Manufacture
ers' Record by c.. B. Warrand, of Savannah
lie states that his own analysis and those of
other chemists show that palmetto contains
II to - per cent. of fannie acid, while hem
lock bark contains per cent, chestnut bark
10 to II per cent, and oak bark II to Is per
cent.
Without referring to the waste of timber
which is generally noticeable where bark is
got out in large quantity, Mr.. Warrand
points out two important advantages which
palmetto has over bark One of them he
states as follows: "Whle tanners using
bark have on V a few months to purchase
their supply and are consequently COM
PEELED to have much of their capital dor
mant, the tanner using palmetto can buy
his supply from day to day, as he needs it,
any month IN the year.
A still more important advantage on tie
side of palmetto is found in the fact that
while bark has no value after the tannin has
been extracted, after the same has been eX-
tracted from palmetto there remains an
equally or more valuable article namely.
fibre OF this there is about 500 pounds to
the ton, and it is worth in the various forms
in which it is placed on the market-lOr pa
per stock, bedding and upholsterng mate
rial, aud as substitute for pIasterng hair,
oakum felt and jute- from 500 to 500 per
ton The bark required for tanning pound
of leather is estimated to cost Is cents By
using palmetto this item of cost would be
saved, provided the fibre were utilized.
The fact is cited that so 600 bales of hides
are exported annually from Savannah, the
present prices ranging from to So cents
per pound, and when they come back as
Gather from 25 to 40 cents per pound is paid.
In concluding his article Mr.. Wamand SAYS:
With raw hides costing SO little, a tanning
material which actically costs hing, Il eli.
mate where tanning can be carried on the
year round, an immense territory and good
home markets, where leather can be sold at
good prices, with an abundance of common
labor which can be secured at low wages
there are few places which offer a more nvit
ling field for tanners than Savannah. Several
tame rieS now operating in this vicinity have
used palmetto with excellent results sOthat
it is not u theory, but an accomplished fact,
to the quality of the leather and financial
results have proved entirely satisfactory.
Now the idea is suggested by the facts cited
that at the palmetto factories now in opera
ton in Florida the valuable by-product, tan
mic acid, ought to be utilized instead of
wasted. Let some of the sap that is pressed
out of the palmetto in the process of crush
ing be allowed to stand a day or two in a
bottle in which a nail has been dropped, and
a fair quality of black writing ink is the re-
sap contains. ItwOud seem that the profit
in fibre manufacturing might be largely in
creased by making the tanning business an
adjunct of it. Then the thousands of tons of
hides that are sent out Of the State to be
tanned will be manufactured into leather
here in Florida. 1t is Of the highest import
ance that we get into the system of working