TO PREPARE SKINS FOR MARKET.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XX, Issue 1414, 21 December 1887, Page 5

TO PREPARE SKINS FOR MARKET.

In order to prepare Bkins for market, sheepskins, when taken off, should be dried in a shed, or in the shade, by being thrown longways across a bar (a wire is too thin). They should not be trimmed except by cutting off the trotters ; and this should not be done until the skin is set. As soon as the skin sets hard it should be painted with anti-weevil fluid, to prevent the weevil from destroying the pelt. Toe way to uae the iluid is to mix one tin of the powder with sgal of hot water, and stir till cold. Apply ifc to the pelt with a brush ; a whitewash brush does very well. The whole of the pelt side of the skin should be painted, When the fluid has dried, tbe skin should be put away with any other skin waiting to be packed, as skins get dirty if left to lie .about. In making up into bundles the skins should all be packed the one way up ; and any folds should be with the woolly side outward. Tbe bundles should either be dumped or securely-iastened with too or three bands of wire, as careless fastenings come undone in transit, and skins are lost. It is not necessary to sort skins, as this is done by the brokers before selling. It {& a good thing to send skins to market a* often as convenient ; for they do not improve by keeping. Hides should be flayed as free as possible from cuts, aud salted as soon as taken off; then spread out for a few hours to drain, and. rolled up with plenty of salt. Kangaroo shin should b,e pegged out square, well stretched at the shoulders — not salted or dried with ashes. They should be painted with antiweevil fluid as soon as set. The legs and tails should be cut off. and the skins Bent in flat, not rolled. The oftener they are sent to market the better as they lose both weight and quality. Babbit skins : Open between the hind legs and not down the belly ; and strip the skin off like a sleevej fur inward, cut off the head, and stretch well from side to side, not from belly to back, on pieces of wire bent in the form of a bullock bow. As soon as dry, string in dozens, by passing a needle and twine through tbe neck end, pack in woolpacks or bags ; and aend to market as fresh as possible, in order to avoid weevil. If the skins cannot be sent quickly to market, paint them all over the pelt side, with anti-weevil compound, one 2s 6d tiu of which will make ogal. of the wash, and will do many thousands of skins. To make skins keep for a long time, or to stand a voyage, use two tins of powder to sgal. of hot water; and thoroughly paint the whole of the pelt side.