A Method of Tanning Without Bark

Part 1

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Transcriber’s Note: This old text is preserved as printed apart from the correction of the following apparent printing errors:

Page 13 “Extroardinary” changed to “Extraordinary”

Page 20 “luberous” changed to “tuberous”

Page 26 “perpencular” changed to “perpendicular”

Page 34 “Veiws” changed to “Views”

Page 35 “cheifest” changed to “chiefest”

Text printed in an “Irish” typeface is denoted ~like this~.

A METHOD OF TANNING WITHOUT BARK.

DUBLIN: Printed by A. RHAMES, MDCCXXIX

HIS EXCELLENCY

William Conolly, Esq;

SPEAKER

OF THE

House of Commons of Ireland.

And to the Rest of the

Members of That HOUSE.

THIS

METHOD

TANNING without BARK

Is humbly inscribed

By Their most

Obedient Servant,

William Maple.

THE

Method of Tanning

WITHOUT

BARK.

Part 2

In Political Computations, the following Principles are universally allowed.

That the Riches of every Country arise from the Natural Produce of the Earth; and the Labour and Art, imployed in improving the same.

That the Quantity of Native Commodities, the Source of Riches, is in Proportion to the Number of People, fully and usefully employed.

That every industrious Person adds to the Wealth, and Support of a Nation; and every Idler, detracts from both, by living on the Labour of Others.

That it is the best Policy in any Government, to encourage, and provide for the full Imployment of the People; since thereby, the Number, Wealth, Strength, and Quiet of the Inhabitants are increased.

That the Gain, or Loss of any Nation by Trade, is known, and determined by the Proportion, which the Exports bear in Value to the Imports. On this depends the absolute Quantity of Money in a Nation; the Relative Quantity of the several Species, that composeth this Money, being ascertained by the Value imposed on those Species; either as it agrees with, or differs from the Value set thereon by other Nations.

A Nation certainly loses by a Trade, whose Exports are not compleatly manufactured, and whole Imports are fully wrought.

A few Manufactures will serve to exchange for great Quantities of the simple Produce of the Earth. The Value of Manufactures, being principally owing to Labour and Art.

If upon these Principles, we examine the State of the Trade of Ireland; I fear we shall find it, in a very declining, and ruinous Condition.

Our Exportations are made up of Wool, Woorsted, Linnen, Yarn, Beef, Butter, Cheese, Tallow, Hydes, Skins, and a few other Articles.

We are not allowed to export our Wool and Woorsted, but to a few Ports in England, and are prohibited from sending thither, or any where else, any other of our Woollen Manufacture. Linnen, and some tanned Hides are the only Commodities we export, compleatly Manufactured; Yarn and Woorsted may be accounted but as half-wrought; Almost all the other Articles are but little removed from the State, Nature has given them to us, and have little or no Labour or Art employed about them.

At the same Time, we export so liberally the Growth of our Country, and so little of our Manufactures, we may observe all our Importations are of such Commodities, as are not capable of farther Improvement; such as East-Indian and West-Indian Goods, Druggs, Wines, Spirits, Manufactures of Wool, Silk, Linnen, Iron, Brass, Glass, &c. Nay, the common Produce of almost all Countries, as Corn, Timber, and Fireing, are imported in great Quantities to supply our Necessities.

By this Management of our Trade, we maintain many Thousands in foreign Countries, and drive Numbers of our own People from us, or leave them to starve at home, for Want of Imployment.

If to this View, we add that mighty Drain of our Bullion, made by those Gentlemen, who, having great Estates in this Kingdom, choose to spend them any where, rather than at home: We can not be at a Loss, how to account for the Ballance of Trade, running against us, for so many Years past.

The most certain Way left to retrieve our Affairs, is to lessen our Imports, and to encrease our Exports, especially of Manufactures.

The Commissioners of the Linnen Manufacture, by an unwearied Application and uncommon Skill, have contributed greatly to the Value of our Exports, by the Advancement of the Linnen Manufactury. And I don’t doubt but that in several other Articles, divers Expedients and Means, may be thought of, for promoting a greater Consumption of our Own, and lessening that or foreign Commodities; and as one Instance, I shall beg Leave to propose an Improvement in our Tannage, by which I apprehend, we shall be enabled to Tan with the Produce of our own Country all the Hydes that now are Exported Raw; and thereby increase the Value of our Exports, employ many Thousands of our People, and avoid the Necessity of Importing Bark.

To set this Matter in a clear Light, I shall lay down, in the first Place, the Export of Green Hydes, and the Import of Bark, in the seven following Years, for the Whole Kingdom, as the same has been extracted out of the Custom-House Books.

Years. Gr. Hydes. Bark B’s.

1721 46,847 46,556 1722 86,004 45,794½ 1723 123,514 47,824½ 1724 103,477 60,740½ 1725 69,858 48,407 1726 60,441 45,279 1727 57,373 50,598

In the next Place it is to be observ’d,

That Bark, according to its Goodness, is sold from 6 to 10, and in some Years, 11 Shillings, the Barrel.

That Cow-Hydes weigh from 56, to 84 Pounds each; Bullock Hydes, weigh from 84 to 140 Pounds each, and both are sold from 15 to 21 Shillings, the hundred Weight.

That Soles, are generally sold from 8 to 8 Pence half-penny the Pound.

That Hydes generally lose about half their Weight, in Tanning.

From these Principles, when thrown into mean Proportionate Quantities, it is evident:

That the Quantity of Bark, annually imported, is 50,000 Barrels, and the Value 21,000 Pounds.

That the Number of Green Hydes, annually exported, are 80,000, and their Value 57,000 Pounds.

That if these Green Hydes were tanned before Exportation, their Value would be 123,000 Pounds.

Part 3

That the Difference, arising from the Different State of these Hydes, on Exportation, is 66,000 Pounds, which Sum added to the 21,000 Pounds, the Value of the imported Bark, making in the whole 87,000 Pounds, must be accounted, as so much gained to the Kingdom, should our Tannage be effected by our own Produce and Labour.

The Nations, that demand this Export of those Green Hydes, are those, whose black Cattle are not bred, in such Numbers, as to supply their indispensable Demands; Nor will their dry Hydes, which they receive from their Settlements abroad, admit a thorough Tannage; They, in hopes of putting their Neighbours, who have a Redundancy of Hydes, under a Necessity, of parting with them unmanufactured, have prohibited, by the severest Penalties, the sending us any Bark. While we, on the other Part, have not only complied with this detrimental Export; but also have been so regardless of our own Interest, as to permit several Tanners, some from this City, to go, and instruct them in an Art, they almost were Strangers to.

The English, from a true Sense of the Disadvantage of such a Trade, have subjected the Exporter of a Green Hyde, to the Penalties of 500 Pounds, and a Disability to trade in Leather, ever after. Ann. 14. Car. II.

Such an Act, even in our present Circumstances, may, by some, be thought adviseable for us; Because, such Nations, as now gladly receive our Green Hydes, finding a Stop, put to their usual Supplies, would be under a Necessity of receiving our tanned Hydes, and selling us their Bark. Leather being a Commodity, that does not depend on the Fancy; but, is absolutely requisite, not only to the Luxuries, but also, to the Necessities of Mankind.

At present, Our Tanners find a great Scarcity of Bark, except those residing in some considerable Sea-Port-Town, and are under just Apprehensions of a greater. Several in the Country have been obliged to lay aside their Pits, and take to other Imployments; the usual Supplies failing. Our Neighbours who will permit any Bark, to be sent us, are in a Manner exhausted. Our American Plantations are too remote to find their Account, in sending any great Quantity. The Produce of our Country is scarce a twentieth Part of what is used in Tanning. This renders our Tannage dear, and often imperfect, so as not to serve a foreign Market, to Advantage, and Reputation.

But if we had Materials, of our own Growth, easy of Acquisition, and Propagation, that would tan, in every Respect, as well as Bark; were these Materials, as to their Powers, well ascertain’d, and confirm’d by a general Experience, the making an Act, to prohibit the Exportation of Green Hydes, would be judged by all to be Adviseable, and Useful to the Kingdom.

When the apparent Qualities of Bark, are considered; and that by it’s insinuating into the Pores, and incorporating with the Substance of the Hyde, it produces a Firmness, Strength, and Consolidation of the Parts; It is very surprizing, that other Materials, of the same Apparent Qualities, have so long remained neglected, and unapplied to the same Uses; when the Consequence is of such Moment.

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