The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-01-15
SOMEWHAT SLIPPERY STUFF.
Zig Industry in Gathering Bark From
Certain Kind Of Elm.

Dig Industry In Gathering Bark From .
Certain Kind Of Elm.
Slippery elm bark is widely used in
medicine to-day. Long ago, when
doctors thought water, when drank
clear, was certain death to q person
with fever, slippery elm came to the
rescue of suffering thousands, and
when it was put in the water the pa
tent 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 pulver-
lied, and it is prescribed by physicians
and sold by druggists for various uses.
Sometimes it is for poultice for some
inaamed and irritated place. Again
it may be used when there is internal
irritation, to soothe and allay the suf-
fering Its uses are legion, and for
years the frugal people who live in
rural districts of the East have had
lucrative employment in gathering this
bark.
In later years the Eastern supply
has grown so short that the manufac.
turers have had to cast about for new
forests, and have turned to the South
for their supply. Accordingly, last
spring, Allen Asher, of Memphis, re-
ceived an inquiry from nm Eastern
house wanting from 100000 to 20O,.
900 pounds of the bark. This was
last April. Mr.. Asher inserted an ad.
vertisement in the papers inquiring
where and in what quantities the bark
could be found here. There were
hundreds of responses, and thriving
little industry has been established.
Mr.. Asher tells the story of the bark
in this manner:
"After looking into the matter care
fully found that there was any guam.
tity of this bark to be had in this sec.
ton. In Mississippi, Arkansas, Ten
nessee and Alabama I found. by ad.
vertising, that this bark was very
plentiful, mostly on ridges contiguous
to rivers, creeks or bodies of water, and
Immediately correspondent with sew
eral hundred persons who had an.
swered my advertisement, telling
them I wanted the bark in large guam
titles, and endeavored to secure all
this bark I possibly could. The mill
which wants it desired to get from
100, 1000 to 200, 1000 pounds annually.
This, of course, is 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.
'If the people would pay particular
attention to gathering this bark for the
market, it is so easily gathered, and
requires so little work, that it would
be quite remunerative, especially as
it can be gathered from the time the
sap rises until the fall. 1t is not nec-
essary to cut down or kill the trees
It is better to not cut them down no,
kill them. If enough bark is left, thu
parts stripped will be covered thicke,
aud better in time. ALI that the mil
requires is that the outside, or rough
part, of the bark, be taken off clean K
the white part of the bark; then, tina
the bark be thoroughly dried, anc
while drying protected from the
weather. If it is left out in the
weather, so the rains and dews fall on
it, it will mildew and become discol
ored. When protected from the
weather. and thoroughly dry, tits almost
perfectly white. After the rough part
of the bark is taken of, it can be
stripped from the trees in any width
and in pieces from three to twelve
feet long, and then doubled over itself
three to three and q half feet long be.
fore drying, SO that, when dry. it can
be made into nice shipping bundles
easy to handle in transit.
81 don't think the people realize
how much could be made in this man.
ner by men and children engaged in
farming, and it is really an extra duty
and can be performed when the crops
are laid by or when the weather is too
wet to pillow or do other field work, or
at any spare time. The frugal East
ern people have been gathering it for
years to supply the increasing demand
of manufacturers and druggists.
"We pay 81 cents for the dry bark.
So far most of our supply has come
from Northern Alabama, Crittenden
County, Arkansas. and along the line
of the Illinois Central Railway as far
down as Grenada, Miss, but we could
handle many times what we now get,
and would be glad if greater numbers
of people would become interested ir
this industry. Many might fiud il
more profitable than cotton.
phis Commercial Appeal.