Part 4

Mr. Ellis, Shoemaker, reported the Specimens were very well tanned: That, Leather either dead, or highly tanned, would never carry so beautiful a Colour as Leather otherwise tanned. That, the Sole Leather appeared to be very well tanned; and that in his Opinion this Tannage, would in every respect, answer the same End, or Intentions, as Bark Tannage.

Mr. James King, Shoemaker, said all the Specimens, were effectually tanned.

Mr. Richard Norris, Shoemaker, produced a Sole of this Tannage, beaten; asserting he never saw so good a Sole of rais’d Calve’s Skin, that it beat firm, solid, and without spreading, or Fuzziness: which are the distinguishing Characters of good Sole Leather, he desired it might be cut in several Places, that the Closeness, and Firmness might be view’d, which accordingly was done, and answering Expectation was approved.

There were a great many other Tanners, Curriers, and Shoemakers, who were of the same Opinion. But considering, their Testimonies, would be but so many Repititions; I shall not recite them.

Dr. Richard Helsham, Professor of Natural Philosophy in Trinity College, said I had communicated to him, what was used in this Tannage, which appeared to be well adapted to tanning, and would not fail to give a sufficient Strength, and Rigidity to the Fibres. Adding he wore a pair of Shoes, the Upper Leathers of this Tannage, daily for four Months, and being willing to try the utmost of the Leather, had new Soles put to them; that since he had worn them about a Month: showing them, without any Cracks, or Defect.

Patrick Carrol, produced two Slips of curried Calf Skin; the one tanned by Bark, the other by the Roots, each three tenths of an Inch broad, and ten Inches long, the first was the thickest, and weighed, a tenth Part more than the other. He said, he was present with several others, when it broke, by a Weight of 129 Pounds being hung to it; That the Slip of this new Tannage, being tryed with the same Circumstances, bore 29 Pounds more than the 129 Pounds, before it either yielded, or broke.

In respect to Time.

That the Specimens, Nᵒ. 1, 2 and 3 were tanned in five Weeks, Nᵒ. 4 in nine Weeks, Nᵒ. 5 in four Months, without any Hurry, extraordinary, or illegal Methods: was proved by Mr. Thomas Cooley, and Patrick Shale; on the other Side, it appeared, that in tanning with Bark, from three to five Months were required for Calves Skins, from seven to nine were requisite for Soles of rais’d Calves Skins, and from ten to thirteen Months for Bullocks Hydes, which by this Tannage, may be effected in nine or ten.

In regard to Cheapness.

Mr. Philip Cooley, affirmed that six Pounds of the Dry Roots, added to some old expended Ooze, tanned Six Calves Skins, three of which were produced under the Nᵒ. 1, 2, and 3; and that he believed sixteen Pounds would have done as much from the first, or without any old Ooze.

In relation to the Cheapness.

Part of the Roots, I have used, I purchased at three Farthings, the Pound; but of late Years, and being willing to engage the Privacy of the Gatherer; I have given a Penny; they lose about a third in Drying: Allowing these as Facts and taking it at the dearest, less than five Shillings worth of Roots, will go farther, than a Barrel of the best Bark.

As to their Plenty and Propagation, Dr. Helsham testified, they grew in great Plenty as he had observed, in several Counties of this Kingdom, and were very easily propagated.

Dr. William Stephens, Botanic Professor in Trinity College, Dublin, in his Examination declared, that they grew in great Plenty about Dublin, and in several Counties he had observed great Quantities, chiefly on Mountains, and barren Places: That, they were easily to be propagated, in almost any kind of Soil, and that he had some flourishing in the Physick Garden, belonging to the University.

The Resolutions, that the House entred into January 10, might very well have sufficed to have recommended a General Practice. But to remove some Prejudices and to obviate some false Representations, I have impartially recited the several Facts and Testimonies, on which they were founded.

That all People may easily know and find out these Plants, I shall here give a Description; which though tedious, I hope will be excused.

Cinquefoil, in Latin, Pentaphyllum vulgare, in Irish, ~Tuigbeag~ (Tuigbeag) ~Tuigvear Muirre~ (Tuigvear Muirre) and in some Counties, ~Meagigh~, (Meagigh) is a Plant, whose Roots are very long, about a Finger’s Thickness, of a dark brown or reddish Colour, and very astringent in Taste; the Leaves are born at the Extremity of a small Stem, five together, deeply indented on their Edges, of an oblong Form and hairy; on the Grand Stem, at the Nodes, shoot forth several smaller, terminating with a small Yellow Flower, composed of six small Leaves surrounding a Number of Threads, from whence ariseth a Cluster of Seeds.

It flourishes in every Hedge, sandy, loose and deep Soil: the Roots which are to be preferred, are the thick, long, and of the darkest Colour.

Tormentil, or Septfoil, in West Meath, called ~Neauhnadis~ (Neauhnadis) in Ulster, ~Menedin~ (Menedin) or ~Neauhnid~ (Neauhnid) in Connaught, ~Levenet~ (Levenet) in the County of Mayo, ~Fenede na Muc~ (Fenede na Muc) this Plant, hath a thick, tuberous Root, of a reddish brown Colour, sometimes covered with a black Skin, of a very astringent Taste, and shooting out many Fibres; the Leaves are generally seven, set on the Extremity of a Foot Stalk, of a dark Green Colour, deeply indented on the Edges and hairy, from amidst them ariseth several small weak Stalks, of a reddish Colour, and hairy, about 12 or 18 Inches in Height, knotted; at every Knot, or Joint, is a Foliage, and two or three Foot Stalks, some bearing Leaves, and one longer than the rest the Flowers consisting of four Leaves, of a light Yellow Colour, to which succeeds the Seeds; the flower Cup, hath Eight Leaves, four large and four small, the Root when Vigorous sends forth several Runners, the Stalks of which are of a reddish Colour, and hairy that spread over the Ground; at every Joynt, from one Part ariseth two or three Stems, each bearing at the Extremity five Leaves, from the other Part, descend several Fibres that become Roots.

It grows almost every where, but chiefly delights in mountainy, barren and shallow Soils; the Roots seldom striking four or five Inches deep. It hath been observed by Dr. Stephens, to grow all along the Banks of the Doder, from Donore-Brook to Old Baun, upon Roch Town Hills; it grows on the Borders of a great Bog for several Miles, by Rathmullian in the County of Meath. In the County of Wicklow, Thousands of Cart-Loads might be with Ease collected; Nor do I know a Mountain or Bog without Plenty of it.

In the Figure, (a) denotes the Root, (b) the Flower in the Bud, (c) the Flower expanded, (d) the Knob of Seeds, (e) the Runners, (f) the Flower Cup. I have exhibited but few of the Leaves, Stems, and Runners to avoid Confusion.

It is observable, that from the Bark of the Stalk of this Plant, at its breaking forth from the Root, excrementitious Tubercles or Knots, resembling Oak-Galls have been often discovered, and like them are subservient to the Propagation of Insects; which, considering the extream nice, and distinguishing Taste of those Animalculas, may well be allowed as a Proof, that their Juices are similar.

The Roots growing on Mountains are small, strong, and often have a black Coat; those that grow on the Sides of Loughs, and in Bogs, are large, of a lighter Colour; some I have had of the Latter, that have weighed each above half a Pound.

When you chose the Roots, prefer the large, knotty Roots, that when broken exhibit a blood red Tincture intermixt with the Brown, and those that when cut, leaves on the Knife a strong purple Colour.

The best Time for collecting these Roots is in the Winter Season, or early in the Spring, and tho’ the Seed-bearing Stalks, and Foliage are decayed, yet there are several Foot Leaves, that remain and direct the Inquirer.

And tho’ these Plants grow wild all over the Country, in such Plenty, as to be more than sufficient to tann all the Hydes, and Skins of the Kingdom; and little Apprehension of a Deficiency, for in digging up the Roots, there will be left some broken Parts, some Fibres, which will Vegetate and give a Supply. A common Root, on a moderate Computation will produce 8 or 10 hundred Seeds, these shedding, and dispersed by Winds, and other Accidents, some will take Root, and carry on a Succession.

And in regard, it may be objected, that the Trouble and Expence, in gathering them, when in so dispers’d a Manner, would be very great; and a constant Supply uncertain: And because the Roots, if raised in such Soils, as shall be found to agree with them, would thereby become larger, stronger, as well as cheaper, I have endeavoured the Culture, especially of the Tormentil, and with such Success, as to have from each square Yard three Pounds weight of the Roots.

An Acre contains 7,840 square Yards; but, for Paths, Wastes, and inclosing, I would allow 1,800 Yards, not to be employed; As the first Year they will be little more than fibrous, I would allow three Years for their Growth, tho’, if another Year was added, the Crop by an Increase would sufficiently reward, not only as to Quantity but Quality; as the best of Lands are not required; I would state the Expence of that Culture as follows,