Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-10-01
TAN BApi<S AND EXTRACTS.

TAN BApI<s AND EXTRACTS.
The bureau Of the census. with the as |
sistance Of the forest service of the de-
partment agriculture. has for some years
collected statistics concerning the annual
production of various forest products,
and the preliminary figures on the con-
sumption Of tan barks and extracts for
1907 have Just Neen made public.
In point Of value the reported con-
sumption of these commodities in the
tanneres of the United States In 1907 was
slightly less than tho reported consump-
ton In 1896. the decrease being from s2l.-
4S7 .3a3 TO SCI 205. 5a7, loss of s2Sl SAG. or
l3 per cent. The total quantity of tan
bark consumed decreased from 1892
cords to l.2l4.401 cords, loss of 1924
cords or IA per cent. The value of tan
bark decreased from Sl2714 OIL to I'll ,5j5.-
s74, loss of SIPS 1877. or % per cent.
while the average cost per cord delivered
at the tannery advanced between the two
years from 80 81 to 1852. a gain of 500.
or 81 per cent. The total consumption OF
extracts was substantially larger in 1907
than In the preceding year. the increase
| being from 929,3s9406 pounds to 364,sa9. t35
pounds. a gain of $500 1870 pounds. or 81
vanced from s. 7l3, 322 to $9.649 613. a gain
OF &936351. or 81 per cent.
| The two general movements In the tam
ming Industry which have characterized
| Its development during recent years are
clearly disclosed by the figures The
growing scarcity OF barks and native ex-
| tracts and. in measure as result or
| this, the Increasing use of chemicals as
l ~
fact that tho total outlay for bnrks and
native extracts WAS smaller in 1851 than
in 1906. although "a IA rule the average
cost per unit Of these commodities in
creased. That the supplanting OF barks
| by extracts continues at a rapid rate, and
that this Is incidentally efYecting change
| In the industry with respect to Its loca-
| ton and the size of the average plant Is
| appa rent. 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 tam
merry more with regard to an advantage
GUS marketing Of products and less with
| regard to the source OF materials.
number of small plants reporting in 1866,
and using bark exclusively. have either
closed down permanently or removed
|
supplies OF bark were available to more
edvanta geous shipping points. and subst-
tuted extracts or chemicals for barks as
the principal tanning materials. This
trend OF the industry Is indicated in the
decreased number Of establishments re-
porting In the later year. the statistics
for that period covering 5sa plants. while
those for 1905 covered ST. active tanneries.
Ntnv, Inc
in the later year. l2l used tan bark ex-
clusively. l?2 extracts exclusively. and
the remaining $40 both sarks and ex-
tracts. as tanning materials. AS In the
preceding year. hemlock bark was used
more extensively than any other tho
consumption in 1891 amounting to sl5.s4o
cords. and constituted 6, per cent, OF the
total Of all barks oak bark ranked next
to hem.ock, with St9,5si cords, while
chestnut and other kinds were consumed
in minor and relatively unimportant
quantities
The leading extract In both years IN
point OF consumption was quebracho, ana
according to the reports the consumption
of this material Increased from l33oos'3od
pounds In 1896 70 l45,39i,611 pounds In 1901
gain Of 1l,sN,Sll pounds, or Ss+ per
cent Chestnut extract ranked second In
both years and increased from l&.6a5 ,0ls
pounds to l34.Sl9,lCo pounds, gain OF
62S4,OS2 pounds, or 81 per cent. These
two extracts combined formed 1916 per
cent. of the total Of this class OF ma
terals In 1906, and 76s per cent In 1901
while ouebracho extract alone formed
substantially the same percentage OF the
total In both wears, namely. 1913 per
| cent. IN 1877 and 4o.5 per cent. In 1906.
| A slight decrease Is noted IN the aferaHe
, | cost per pound OF queoracho eA'rac' III
1907, while n small advance was made In
that of chestnut extract. The consump-
ton OF hemlock extract increased from
, "a. 4O5.97s pounds to 4o.l33.5A pounds q
gain OF 6727,546 pounds, or H'3 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 3ol92'l5l pounds In
1906 and so,SSo. 2sl pounds In 1901
While the tanning Industry Is "'ue.y
having been reported In 1871 from %
, States and that Of tan bark from 70 mo
4 four States of Pennsylvania WISCONSIN,
, Michigan and West Virginia rahR'hs W
the order named, used nearly '"o-'"'roS
OF the total quantity of bark cohsu''eo'
Z and more than one-haf OF that Oh eA-
I tracts Pennsylvania alone used SS''n<
cords OF bark and lS5,6ls,Sl pounds OF
extracts, which was ?7s per cent ana
S.2 per cent. respectively Oh ,'' 20.
A OF these materials reported TOT VIC "''''eu
0 States.