Better Hides

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6841, 23 April 1932, Page 11

Better Hides

PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR FARMERS.

.An extremely interesting and instructive lecture on hides and fellmongery practice was given by Mr. White, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to a number of students and staff at Massey College yesterday. Mr. White, who has had extonsive experience of hides both in the Old Country and in America, has an extremely sound and practical grasp of his subject. Ho outlined the minute structure of the skin and illustrated his points with, slides showing the cross sections of the skins of most of the iomcstic animals. He then dealt with most of the defects in hides due to careless treatment by the farmer, showing how a skin could be depreciated to Jess than half its value by careless flaying. Branding on the rump, the most valuable part of the hide, depreciated its valuo by 20 per cent. He advocated branding on the shoulder where the leather after processing is only 'hall the valuo of that from the hindquarters. Assymmetrical skinning had the bad effect of concentrating ail the "offal" leather "-bn one side, a feature that docs not appeal to leather goods manufacturers. Barbed wire scratches and horn marks have a detrimental effect. Ho produced hides that even after complete tanning, retained scores and marks. Sheep pelts were often spoilt by cuts from shearing while sun-sealed after shearing produced a very noticeable and undesirable patchy feature in the finished leather. The use of dirty and impure salt for preserving the raw hides produces green discolourations iu the finished leather. He also indicated inherent defects in certain breeds and types of sheep, particularly in fine woolled sheep such as the Merino and in the fast-maturing mutton crosses so popular with New Zealand farmers. There arc also a number of defects due to faulty fellmongery. The use of too strong alkalis in tho removal of wooL and hair produced a suede effect on the surface of the leather. Mr. AVhito illustrated his remarks throughout with a largo number of specimens of different types of leathers showing various processing defects. He also showed the different types ot leathers produced. In emphasising that particular care should bo taken by farmers in the treatment of skins, Mr. White remarked that in such a byproduct industry as that of pelts which was not directly affected by the laws of supply and demand, every care had to bo taken iu order to get a maximum return for skins. Tho address concluded with a number of questions on points that had arisen during the lecture. On the motion of Professor Pcren, a hearty voto of thanks wqs accorded the speaker for his extremely interesting lecture.