Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-09-16
TAN BARKs AND EXTRACTS.
A By-Product of the Forests Reaches
Large Figures.


the assistance of the Forest Service
OF the Department of Agriculture,
has for some years collected statis-
tics concerning the annual produc-
tion of various forest products, and
the preliminary figures on the con-
sumption of tan barks and extracts
for 1907 have just been made public.
In point of value, the reported con-
sumption of these commodities in
the tannerfeS of the United States In
1907 was slightly less than the re-
ported consumption in 1905, the de-
crease being from $21,487,393 to
S2l,2O5,647, loss of 1891, ,846, or
l.3 per cent. The total quantity of
tan bark consumed decreased from
l,311,342 cords to 1,214,401 cords,
loss OF 156,941 cords, or ia per
cent. The value of tan bark decreas-
ed from $12,774,O71 to oN$11,555,874.
loss of $1,218,197, or 9.5 per cent,
while the average cost per cord de-
ilVered at the tannery advanced be-
tween the two years from $9.32 to
1882, gain of 5000, or 81 per
cent. The total consumption of ex-
tracts was substantially larger in
! 1907 than in the preceding year, the
increase being from 329,3S9,4O5
pounds to 364,S99,535 pounds,a "a gain
OF 35 ,51O,13O pounds, or OF per cent.
In total value this material advanced
from $S,713,322 to $9,649,673, a
gam or S936,35l, or 81 per cent.
The two general movements in the
tanning industry which have charac-
| terized its development during recent
years are clearly disclosed by the
fgures. The growing scarcity of
barks and native extracts and, in a
measure as a result of this, the in
creasing use Of chemicals as tanning
materials Is evident from the fact
that the total outlay for barks and
native extracts was smaller in 1907
than in 1906, although as a rule the
average cost per unit Of these COM
moditfes increased. That the sup
planting of barks by extracts con-
tinues at rapid rate, and that this
is incidentally effecting a change in
the industry with respect to its loca-
tion and the size Of the average plant
Is apparent. The greater ease and
| economy with which extracts can be
transported as compared with the
handling of barks Is resulting in a
tendency to locate the tannery more
with regard to an advantageous mar
keting of products and less with re-
gard to the source of materials. A
| number of small plants reporting in
1905, and using bark exclusively,
have either closed down permanently
or removed from the. more remote
districts where supplies Of bark were
available to more advantageous ship
ping points, and substituted extracts
or chemicals for barks as the princi-
pal tanning materials. This trend of
the industry Is indicated in the de-
| creased number Of establishments re-
porting in the later year, the statis-
tics for that period covering $50
plants, while those for 1906 covered
627 active tanneries. Or the total
number Of plants reporting in the
later year, 121 used tan bark exclu-
sively, 1872 extracts exclusively, and
the remaining $40 both barks and
extracts as tanning materials. AS in
the preceding year, hemlock bark was
used more extensively than any 9TH
er, the consumption in 1907 amount
Ing to S15,S40 cords, and constitut-
ing 81 per cent of the. total of all
barks. Oak bark ranked next to
hemlock, with 349,594 cords, while
chestnut and other kinds were con-
sumed in minor and relatively unim-
portant quantities.
The leading extract in both years
In point Of consumption was que
bracho, and according to the reports
the consumption Of this material in
creased from 1873, 3,50S,3O6 pounds in
1906 to 145, ,324,677 pounds in 1907,
gain Of II ,S16,371 pounds, or S.S4
per cent. Chestnut extract ranked
second in both years and increased
from 12S,535,O1S pounds to 1884,
Sl9,1OO pounds, gain of 6,2S4,OS2
pounds, or At per cent. These two
extracts combined formed 1916 per
cent of the total Of this class of mate
rials In 1906, and 76.S per cent in
1907, while quebracho extract alone
formed substantially the same per-
cestage Of the total in both years,
namely, 1913 per cent in 1907,
and 40.5 per cent in 1906. A
slight decrease Is noted in the aver
age cost Ter pound of quebracho ex-
tract in 1907, while a small advance
was made in that of chestnut extract.
The consumption of hemlock extract
increased from 34,405,97S pounds to
40, 133,524 pounds, a gain of 5,727,-
546 pounds, or 1913 per cent, with
little change in the average cost per
pound. The quantity of oak extract
consumed was practically the same
In the two years, being 30,192,151
pounds in 1906, and 30,83O,291
pounds in 1907, while the average
cost PEI round advanced slightly, the
increase being from 5000 to $O.O21.
While the tanning industry is wide
ly distributed, the consumption of
extracts having been reported in 1907
from 33 States and that Of tan bark
from 26, the four States of Pennsyl-
vania, Wisconsin, Michigan and West
Virginia, ranking in the order named
used nearly two-thirds of the total
quantity Of bark consumed, and more