Hence, to tan hides, soak the hide from four to ten days, or until soft and pliable. Immerse in a thin milk of-lime solution until the hair can be easily removed. Scrape the hide with a knife, remove all flesh with a shav ing knife, and thoroughly wash the hide to remove the lime. Soak in a solution of gum at 95° to 100° F., and finally immerse in a tan pit contain ing bark and water or a solution of tanning extract, according to the char acter of the skin and strength of the tanning material employed. It will be seen that the commercial process requires suitable facilities and con siderable experience.
But to tan undressed hide on the farm, spread the skin flesh side up, and apply equal parts of saltpeter and ammonia in powdered form sprinkled evenly over the surface. Roll the skin up and let stand a few days until dissolved. Scrape off any flesh that remains, nail the skin to the sides of I a building or a board fence, stretch tightly, and apply lib erally warm neat's-foot oil with a brush. Let stand in the sun, and finally rub out all the oil you can with a wedge-shaped stick. This is the method of tanning with the hair on.
Or immerse the skin in thin milk of lime 4 or 5 days, scrape off the hair and any flesh remaining, and wash to free from lime. Plunge the skin into a solution of bran and water, and let stand for 2 days. Pre pare an astringent liquor by boil ing pound of apple galls, 1 ounces of Bengal catechu, and 5 pounds of tormentil or septfoil. Soak in 17 gal lons of water for 1 hour. Take the skin from the bran water and plunge in this liquor. Handle it several times a day for 3 or 4 days, let it stand 3 or 4 days undisturbed, and then handle three or four times the next day. Finally let it lie undis turbed for a month, and the tanning will be completed.
To Tan Par Skins.—Soak the skins and scrape flesh and the fatty matter from the flesh side. When clear, im merse in warm water for an hour.
Mix for each skin l ounce of borax, saltpeter, and Glauber's salts with water to a thin paste, and apply to the flesh side with u brush, suiting the coat to the thickness of the skin.
Lay the skins, flesh sides together, in a cool place. After twenty-four hours wash them clean.
Melt slowly together with gentle heat 1 ounce of sal soda, j ounce of borax, and 2 ounces of castle soap.
Apply with a brush. Fold the skins, flesh sides together, and let them stand in a warm place 24 hours.
Finally soak them for 12 hours in a. solution of 4 ounces of alum, 8 ounces of salt, and 2 ounces of sal eratus, with hot water enough to cov er them. The water should not be hotter than the hands can bear. Af ter 12 hours take out the skins, wring out the water, and let them dry.
Repeat the last process, if neces sary, until the skins are soft.
Finally moisten a cloth in warm water, dip it in pumice stone, and rub the inside.
To Tan Sheepskins and Goatskins with the Hair on.—Clean the flesh side of fat and meat, mix pound of alum and pound of salt in 2 quarts of water, and soak the skins in this mixture 24 hours. Remove and nail to the sunny side of a building, flesh side out, until bone dry. Mix 2 pounds of pulverized alum, 1 pound of salt, and 1 quart of wheat bran with water to a thick paste, and ap ply evenly to the flesh side of the skin. Fold the skins in the middle with the flesh sides together, roll up, and put away for 6 or 8 days, pro tected from water and vermin. Then brush away the mixture, apply neat's foot oil warm with a brush, and rub the skin between the hands until it is pliable.
Or wash the skins with strong suds and water to remove dirt from the wool, soak them over night in soap and water, and tack them, flesh side down, over a barrel to dry. When nearly dry, remove them, clean off any pieces of flesh or fat that remain, and rub prepared chalk over the skin un til no more can be rubbed in. Then rub with powdered alum, and sprinkle alum thickly over the flesh side.
Or, instead of chalk and alum, rub the skins with a mixture of saltpeter and alum, afterwards fold the skins with the flesh sides together, roll them up tightly and lay them away for a week where they will be perfectly dry. Finally rub down the flesh side with a damp cloth dipped in pumice or rotten stone to smooth and polish. This is a suitable treatment for coon, squirrel, and other skins used for caps, for sheepskins and goatskins used for rugs, for lambskins used for coats and vests, and for all similar purposes.