The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-09-25
SLIPPERY BUSINESS.

Gathering Bark From a Certain Kind
of Elm Has Come to Be Big Indus
try.
Slippery elm is widely used in medi-
cine to-day. Long ago, when doctors
thought water when drank clear was
certain death to a person with fever,
slippery elm came to the rescue of suf-
fering thousands, and when 1t was put
in water the patient was allowed TO
drink it. AS the years went on and the
doctors grew in wisdom new uses
were found for slippery elm bark.
There are big factories in which this
bark is pulverized and 1t is prescribed
by physicians and sold by the druggists
| for various uses. Sometimes 1t is for
poultice for some infiamed and irritated
place, Again, 1t may be used when
there is internal irritation to soothe and
allay the suffering. Its uses are legion,
and for years the frugal people who live
| in the rural districts of the east have
had lucrative employments in gathering
| this bark.
| In later years the eastern supply has
grown so short that the manufacturers
have turned to the south for their sup
ply Accordingly last spring Allen
Asher of Memphis received an inquiry
from an eastern house wanting from
one to two hundred thousand pounds of
| the bark. This was last April MIR.
| Asher inserted an advertisement in the
papers inquiring where and in what
quantities the bark could be found
here. There were hundreds of re-
sponses, and thriving little industry
has been established. Mr.. Asher tells
the story Of the bark in this manner:
ITO get slippery elm bark in large
quantities is new industry in this sec
ton of the country. Heretofore the
eastern manufacturers have been able
to get all they desired from nearby
points. Six or eight months ago we
had an inquiry from large manufac-
turer who is engaged in the business of
manufacturing pure powdered licorice
root, tobacco flavor, etc. He desired to
know If we could get any slippery elm
bark in this section of the country and
the probable cost and quantity to be OBJ
tanned and at the same time stated
that on account of it's scarcity with
them the price had advanced two cents
a pound.
after looking into the matter care
fully I found there was any quantity of
the bark to be had in this section. In
Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and
Alabama I found by advertising that
this bark was very plentiful, mostly on
ridges contiguous to rivers, creeks or
bodies of water, and Immediately cor
responded with several hundred per-
sons who had answered my advertise
ment, telling them wanted the bark in
large quantities, and endeavored to Sc
cure all this bark possibly could. The
mill which wants 1t desired to get from
one to two hundred thousand pounds
annually. This, of course, Is a large
quantity of the bark owing to the
shape in which it is desired, and the
fact that when dry it is not nearly so
heavy as when stripped from the tree.
A great many parties who wrote to me
with view to getting it out have, for
one cause or another failed to do so,
while there are numbers of others get
ting the bark and shipping it regularly.
IF the people would pay particular
attention to gathering this bark for the
market, it is so easily gathered and re-
quires so little work, that it would be
quite remunerative especially as 1t can
be gathered from the time the sap rises
until the fall. 1t is not necessary to cut
down or kill the trees. 1t is better to
not cut them down or kill them. If
enough bark is left the parts stripped
will be covered thicker and better in
time. All that the mill requires is that
the outside or rough part of the bark be
taken off clean to the white part of the
bark. Then, that the bark be thor
ouehly dried, and while drying protect
7 ed from the weather. If it is left out in