The herald., 1897-10-11
.CANAIGRE
INDUSTRY
Opinions of c. B. Allaire,
the Expert
DRIED ROOTS VS.. THEEXTRACT
CHEAP LANDS A NECESSITY FOR
THIS CROP
DRIED ROOTS VS.. THEExTRACT
An Unlimited Market for the Extract.
The Dried Root Is Un-
profitable

Mr.. c. B. Allaire Of Deming, New Mex
leo, who is probably the best posted can
aigre man in the United States, if not in
the world, is stopping temporarily in Los
Angeles, while on business trip to this
coast. A half hours chat with Herald
representative brought out some infor-
nation on the canaigre question which
will be Of public interest at the present
time.
About five years ago Mr.. Allaire, in
company with few capitalists from Pc
oria, ILL.,, put up an experimental plant
at Deming, New Mexico, for the manu-
facture of tanning extract from the
canaigre root. This factory cost about
100000. Work was commenced on
small scale at first and an attempt was
made to educate tanners to the use of
this new product and thus build up the
market.
The supply Of canaigre roots was lin
tied and uncertain and comparatively
high priced. costing at the factory about
81 ton for the green root. The supply
came from the. green roots, which grow
in all portions of New Mexico, Arizona
and Southern California, as we'll as in
western Texas and northern Old Mexico.
The expense of the enterprise was so
great that the extract had to be sold
at from $50 to $11O per ton in order to
make a margin Of profit.
1t was found that ton Of the extract,
carrying 48 per cent of tannin, could be
manufactured from 4.S3 tons Of the green
root This tannin is not pure tannic
acid, but is composed Of all the elements
that enter into the production of leather
from hides, including the coloring mat
ter, etc.
Canaigre Is used almost exclusively
for the manufacture Of soft leather. 1t
is not used for the manufacture of hard
leather at all except when used in con-
nection with oak or hemlock A soft
sole leather can be made from canaigre,
but it is so soft that it must be used for
insoles and other light use and not for
heavy wear 1t is said that by some of
the quick tanning processes they have
succeeded in making some very good sole
leather, and there is little doubt but that
in the future some tanning method will
be devised by which good, firm, hard
leather may be made from canaigre.
| There are several quick tanning pro-
cesses now in use, among them being
the Climax and the Velocitan. BY these
quick processes a heavy leather is made
in about forty eight hours, while the old
process requires from four to five
months.
An objection has been made to canal
gre for tanning purposes in that it fer
ments in the vat. This complaint is
we'll founded but the evil can be easily
remedied. Canaigre contains about -
per cent Of invert sugar in the dry root,
which furnishes food for fermentation,
and the extract carries also all the other
soluble properties of the root When
sweet liquors are desired, fermentation
can be prevented by any of the we'll
known antiseptics, which would stop the
fermentation without injury to the
leather, so that this objections is of but
slight Importance.
Canaigre has its peculiar properties as
a tanning agent; so has hemlock, or oak,
or gambler, or sumac. Every vegetable
source of tannin when used alone pro-
duces a leather of different character
from that produced by any and all other
vegetable sources of tannin. Oak leather
and hemlock leather differ in quality.
The same rule applies in a greater or
less degree to all other tannings.
UP to the present time canaigre tannin
has cost too much There Is limit be-
yond which tanners cannot go. When
that limit is reached canaigre is crowded
out of the market and other materials
take its place. The verdict Of large
number of tanners, both in the United
States and in Europe has been in favor
of the use of canaigre, provided the sup
ply could be sufficient and steady and
provided further, that the price brings it
within reach of the consumers.
Large quantities of canaigre have been
sent to market in its dried form and has
been used in an extensive experimental
way, in order to ascertain it's value Its
use has been satisfactory, but it's price
has been too high. Three tons of the
green root make one ton of the dried.
Two and a half tons of the dried root
makes one ton of the extract, or if used
without being converted into the ex-
tract the value is about the same-three
tons for one; while 4S3 tons of the green
root will make one ton of the extract.
Thus it will be seen that there is a heavy
loss in drying the roots. In short, the
green root will yield nearly twice as
much tannin if made directly into the
extract as though it were first dried and
then used, either to make the extract or
used in it's dried form by the tanners.
On account of the freight rates, it is
the same in both cases. By rail the
impossible to send the dried root to mar
ket if at any great distance and have it
compete with other tanning materials.
The reason for this is plain. One ton of
the extract is as valuable to the tanners
as two and half tons of the dried pro-
duct. The freight is only two-fifths as
much by rail, as the freight per ton is
freight is computed by weight at about
S12 per ton from California or Deming to
the Atlantic seaboard. TO obtain the
tannin from ton of extract the con-
sumer pays $12 freight if he buys the
extract, or $50 freight if he buys the
dried roots Here is a saving of SIS.
When it comes to sending the material
to Europe the difference is still greater,
for ocean freights are computed by
measurement and not by weight, and
cubic foot of the dried root weighs only
twenty-one pounds. while a cubic foot
of the extract weighs about eighty
pounds The ocean freight, therefore,
on a ton of extract is only about one
quarter as much as 1t is on a ton Of the