El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-18

err q certain common plsns OF our
sou.hves a weed of the river bottoms
a2d lower mesas, is to be oeVeiopeo
| into q source of great wealth 1or snis
region. Canaigre, big leaved, tuoer-
oSs rooted, red stslked plant growing
Wild from southern Utah south shrous
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona ana
southern California, Ia one Of the rich
est prod ucers of pure tapn1c aclo Oh al
the supplies known to chemists Ano
tanners.
The world needs tannic acid - mucn
as it does cotton and almost as mucn
% 1t does wheat. 1t 10 absolutely es-
senti al 10 flaming leather from nloes
to have great watts full OF the acio 10
which the hides soak till they are rio
Of much animal matter and are render
ed pliable.
SOURCE OF TANNIC ACID.
So far the great sources of supply OF
tannic acid have been the forests OF
oak, hemlock, beech, sumach and also
from the nutgalls which grow on
these trees. In the north and east
the mountains and hills are being de-
nuded of their primeval forests and the
great trees stripped OF their bark which
f%Rent to the tanneries- But not only
us the forest reserve rapidly decreas-
Ing but the differentiation has become
a1nenace TO the health and safety OF
the dwellers of farms and villages and
cities and there is q hue and cry
against such extensive destruction OF
the forests.
CANAIcRE BETTER THAN HEhLoCk
BARK.
In this condition of affairs leather
men have been looking elsewhere for
.heir tannic acid supply and have pro-
nounoed the canaigre root perfectly
satisfactory and in fact more
excellent tannic acid producer thar
hemlock. bark.
Scientists have Investigated the sub
ject and analysed canaigre roots dry
and fresh, wild and cultivated, those
grown In sand and those in heavier
soil. and have reported favorably. The
government has experimental with it
and prepared bulletin on the subject
and few planters have tried raising
it with irrigat and have met with
seccess, but still very few people know
omuch about the plant, wild or Guilt
vaeed, or of its possibilities.
GREAT INTEREST IN CANAIGRE.
A mention of cauaigre in a letter
rom thesVan Horn special correspou-
lent of the HERALD month or 60
go, brought down flood OF letters of
inquiry.
Railroads have taken special in
crest in the plant and seem to think
Z it be what the scientists, tanners,
md sgricul,urists who have been ex-
,erimen ting with It, say, that it will
rove q source of great wealth in our
oAthwest and that capital will be
lad to come to help develop it.
AN AUTHORITATIVE ACCOUNT.
The following article from Francis
e. Lester, registrar of the New Mex
loo college of agriculture, is concise
and complete, and as the college has
been experimenting with the plant for
years, is may be considered author
itative also. Mr.. Lester, who is the
HRRALD's special correspondents At
Aksilla Park, has had much to do
personally with the experimental
kr>ik, and be writes this account of
plant. land its industrial possibilities |
be Request of the HERALD.
A NEW TANNING AGENT.
anstpre' (scientific name Rumsx Hy-
nosepalus). has become widely known !
,ouRhoutsthe world during the past
rYyesrs as q new tanning agent, due
it's high percentage of tannic acid in
!, roots. 1t is q native plant found
owing wild over the arid plains of
south " est, being indigenous to
It region known to botanists as the
.er Sonora life zone, and comprising
.stern Texas, New Mexico, Arizona,
shsro Californis, and parts of
,r,heru Mexico. The plant is found,
however, occasionally in other parts.
such as Southern Oklahoma and parts
Of Neva Ia and Utah.
1t appears to be most at home in a
sandy soil and in the lower plains and
river valleys. Except occasionally in
ravines and between low mountains,
IL ia never found in very large areas on
she higher mesas or among the noun
Aias. Its name is undoubtedly q COR
rup tion of the Spanish cana sgris (sour
camel, by which 1t is chiefly known in I
Mexico, as also by the name OF yerba
colorado. 1t Ia also called by some the