Fellmongery.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 9, 2 July 1906, Page 228

Fellmongery.

The Fellmongery covers an area of about 32,000 square ft., and, like all other departments at these huge works, is replete with the most efficient devices for handling its particular material. The skins are conveyed from the slaughter house by an overhead tramway to cold-water wash dollies that remove the blood. They are then placed m a Broadbent hydro-extractor which, at 800 to 1,200 r.p.m., prepares the pelts for hanging in the Sweat Room until the wool slips. This accomplished, the pelt is despatched to the Pulling Room furnished with 14 pullers that clear the pelt of fleece. After being classed, the wool is transferred to the Drying Room. Here are two five-table Petne drying machines, both equal to treating 650 to /oolbs. of wool per hour, according to the grade. Thereafter the wool is sent to the Packing Room, contain-

ing thirty-six bins, where it has to remain twentyfour hours before being packed. The pelts, having lost their fleece, are next washed m the Pelt Room not without first being immersed m a solution of lime. Stacking in heaps of 4000 is next resorted to, in which state the pelts remain for from four to five days to dram. They are now ready for " fleshing," i.e., removing the grease and cleaning ; two of Yaughan's No. 7 fleshing machines being capable of carrying on this work at the rate of 3 800 each day. Next follows the throwing of the fleshed pelts into clean, warm water, to be " dollied " until all traces of lime are lost. From this they are transferred into warm drenches preparatory to " scudding," which, m other words, is the scraping of the outside of the pelt Then comes the trimming and making ready for pickling in sulphuric acid and salt, after which each pelt is ready for a place m one of fourteen classes. The capacity of the fellmongery is about 6000 pelts per diem, the majority being casked and exported to the United States,