The Arizona Cattleman

USE PURE SALT ON HIDES

Hides should be salted only with clean, pure salt, free from alum, according to a recent statement of the bureau of chemistry, United States department of agriculture. This bureau is making a study of the best methods for skinning farm animals and curing hides in order to produce a high-grade leather. Salt containing alum partly tans the hide and sets the hair so that it cannot be removed. Hides which cannot be unhaired properly bring a loss to the tanner and prejudice him in the future purchases against hides from the same source.

Tanners recently submitted to the bureau of chemistry green salted hides which could not have been unhaired after liming in the usual way, in order to find out the cause. An examination showed that on the basis of the dry hide unhaired spots contained 0.8 per cent of alumina and the portions where the hair was not loosened contained 1.25 per cent of alumina. The portions of the hide which contained 0.8 per cent alumina unhaired with difficulty, while the portions containing 1.25 per cent could not be unhaired even on the beam.

An inferior salt containing alum had been used in salting the hides and had set the hair. This incident illustrates the importance of attention to details in the handling and curing of hides and skins. Farmers, country butchers, and dealers are advised by the department to use only clean, pure salt in salting hides. The presence of alum in salt is especially objectionable and as little as 5 per cent in the salt can be detected usually by its astringent, bitter taste.

Farmers' Bulletin 1055, which gives detailed directions for skinning, curing, and marketing country hides and skins, may be obtained upon application to the United States department of agriculture, Washington, D. C.