Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-07-22

III lS elllle outDuly u III lila
portion not reserved for posts and sleepers, for
this extract. In Paraguay and areas in the Chaco
remote from good roads. so that the cost of sup
plying timber is excessive, every particle of the
wood is turned into extract, because the demand
is usually in advance OF the supply, and it is there
fore more profitable to manufacture the more
concentrated article, which can be easier and more
economically carried to market.
One feature OF quebracho, in which it is SUI
perior to other sources of supply, is that the bark,
the sapwood, and the whole of the central part
OF the tree produce the extract in considerable
quantities. The bark contains 6 to 8 per cent. of
tannin, the sap 3 to 5 per cent, and the heart 20
to Is per cent. AS the heart represents two-thirds
and often three-fourths of the total quantity Of
wood, the amount of tannin in the Quebracho colo.
RADIO Is seen to be considerable. 1t is merely a
chemical question whether this tanning material
Is equal or inferior to that from the oak, but later
methods of preparation point to a full Justification
OF the claim that the leather from quebracho ex-
tract grades up to that resulting from any other
tanning substance. So serviceable Is it, however,
that since it's discovery, the tanning industry of
the Argentine Republic has made noticeable adj
vance, because, with both hides and extract as
great natural products of the country, the govern
ment is making every effort to foster the leather
industry within it's own border.
"Quebracho extract as it is called in the trade
is easily manufactured when the machinery is
once Installed. All the wood is passed through
a machine that cuts it into shavings or the small
est possible chips. 1t is then collected into i'm
mense kettles, In which it is treated by chemical
processes until all the tannin is removed; after
this the fluid preparation is reduced by evapora-
ton to a thick, jelly-like mass, which is poured
into sacks. where 1t Is finally dried into the sub
stance sold In commerce.
The difficulty of gathering the raw material far
outweighs the preparation of the finished article.
especially as the extract is no longer to be con.
sidered a by-product, but is coming to have more
Importance and value than posts and sleepers. In
Paraguay particularly, where all the wood is util-
lied for extract, the hardest part of the business
lies in gathering wood for the factory. The trees
are cut in the heart Of the virgin forest and
hauled by OK teams to the nearest clearing. Only
native Indians have proven themselves suitable
for the work. as they are thoroughly acclimated,
understand the wilderness, and can withstand the
plague of insects which make life at night mis-
cradle for the foreigner; and exposure for nights
as we'll as days is unavoidable, because the cut
ting stations are usually remote from any settle
ment.
In 1885 the first real expectation of quebracho
extract from the River Plate was recorded. The
increase has been rapid-from 400 tons in the first
year to 5000 tons in 1902, 12O, 594 tons in the next
nve years, and 2s.195 tons in 1907. OF this guam.
tity the United States received 1913 tons, or al.
most 65 per cent.