The herald., 1894-07-22
MORE ABOUT THE CANA|GRE.
Vice = Consul General Mason
Gives Some Details.
The Tanning Qualities Are Pro-
nounced Excellent.
valuable Facts About Plant That
Should Be Feature of
Ranches Hsre-
abOuts.
(BY L. NJ. HoLT.]

Fer several months past I have been
engaged in collecting all the information
obtainable in this country, and more
especially in Europe, regarding the COM
mercisl value of osnsigre in connection
with the tanning of feathers. I received
areport from Consul Monahan OF Der.
lin. This report wau sent to the state
department at Washington, at my re-
quest and was thence ssnt to me in ad-
vance OF Its publication by the depart
ment, and several months since it was
nrst given to the public through the col
umns OF the HERALD, from whence it
was largely copied by other ne wspapers.
Inc work OF getting re- port from VII
emma was more tedious and took moro
tims. wrote last Deem Der to Prof.
Eitner' director OF the experimental
station at Vienna, but got no renlv.
though he stated to Vice Coneul General
Dean B. Mason that he answered INV
letter. Alter writing to the consul cen.
eral, l received letter from him to ths
effect that he could not make report
except to the government, and then
only when instructed to do go. l at
| once wrote to Senator White to see the
state department and get instructions
issued to the consul general at Vienna
to make the necessary examination of
the subject and report at once. The in
structions were issued as asked for, and
finally the report, as received by the de-
partnent of state, was sent to me bv
Senator White under date of June SOth.
arriving in this city in one of the first Of
the delayed mails thar came through
after the strike blockade. This report
gives some OF the best and most inn
portant, and l believe accurate in
formation on the subject yet pub
lished in the United States, and hasten
to give it in full to the HERALD, Just az
it ia received. Following is the report,
TANNING QUALITIES OF CANAIGRE.
Professor Either, director of the ex-
perimental station for the leather indus
try in Vienna, has made numerous ex.
periments with the newly introduced
American tanning material, canaigre,
and the information relative to its tam
ming qualities, contained in this report,
is derived from his writings.
Canagre hes the property of tanning
leather in short time and OF giving it a
brighter, clearer orange color than has
been obtained by any other tanning ma
terial.
The leather Ia soft, neither shrinks
nor swells, and, although rapidly dyed,
it 10 strong and not at all brittle.
Canaigre is especially adapted for the
tanning of upper, ssddlery and fancy
leather, but it has also been uaed with
Ir1este, IN the tanning OF sole LEATHER ion
the fner kinds of ladies shoes. In the
treatment OF leather for ladies shoes, the
canaigre ia added to pine bark. 1t af.
fects the leather first. and causes the
pine to act more quickly and evenly
than it would otherwise do. In the fol-
lowing process of the manufacture of
sole leather. csnaigre is used to some ex-
tent.
In the Leviniache fabrick, in the final
tanning process of skins which are to be
used for sole leather, the skins are
treated with a powerful mixture of ex-
tracts.
In the final bath to which the skins
are subjected for 16 days. seven pounds
of oak bark and two pounds of canaigre
or valonia are used.
In the second bath, which lasts "a
days, there are six pounds of oak bark
and three pounds of canaigre, and in the
third, which lasts 30 days. five pounds
of oak bark and three pounds of canaigre
or valonia are used. Very strong skins
sometimes receive a fourth bath.
In tanning with extracts, canaigre
seems to have q special value in giving
color and strength. Even when used in
small quantities, with other powerful
extracts, there is noticeable difference
if canaigre ia used instead OF valonis,
the leather having brighter yellow
color.
Csnaigre is better than any other
material for retaining of leather which
has been imperfectly tanned. Canaigrs
is very similar to gambler in its tanning
properties, and, if it is ever to be ex.
ported in large quantities to Europe, it
will have, for the came amount of tan
ming power, to be as cheap as or cheaper
than the last named article. 1t is for
this reason that gam bier has particular
importance for any one interested in the
sale of canaigre.
The firm OF Blan & Sohindles, OF
Hamburg, has imported more canaigre
than any other continental firm, but,
according to its own statement, has only
imported it in small quantities, as it is
not cheap enough at present, to COM
pete with gambler.
Practically, the entire crop OF gambler
is shipped from India to England. aud
exported to the other European Coun.
tries, and to the United States.
According to the board of trade re.
turns the imports of Clutch and gambler
into Great Britain during the first three
months OF the years 1892, 1898 and
1894, amounted to 1902, 49S, 81, l7S,275
and 81. 5SS, 00S, respectively.
Gambler proper sells in Vienna or
Hamburg at So per 100 kiloH GOO. 46 lbs),
while Clutch, or wood gambler, is
cheaper.
Mr.. Collingwood, of the agricultural
experiment station in Arizona. has car
ried on numerous experiments in the
cultivation OF canaigre, and the best
and most authentic information on ths
subject is to be had from his reports.
DEAN B. MASON.
Vice Consul General.
Vienna, Austria, HAY %, 1894.