The treatment of skins with alum and salt, or "tawing," as it is called, is more often resorted to than tanning for the dressing of skins for making rugs. The skin should be thrown across a bench, and the adhering flesh and fatty tissue either cut or scraped away with a sharp knife. The flesh side of the hide may next be treated for a week or two with a bran mash, which, by a process of fermentation, softens the inner integument, and allows it to be removed. This may prove useful in softening the inner membrane of tough skins, and afterwards allows it to be separated with the knife. The object of this treatment is to remove all material that may afterwards tend to putrefy. Next treat the skin with a tepid bath of 7 1/2 lb. of alum and • lb. of common salt to 3gal. of water. A portion of this solution should be made slightly warm, and then well rubbed into the skin with a brush. The skin should be allowed to remain damp for a few days, then pinned down tightly stretched on a boa.rd, and placed in the sunlight to dry. For tanning skins, it matters very little what proportions of material are used. Half fill a copper or earthenware vessel with oak bark chips, and fill up with boiling water; keep simmering for a few hours, then strain.

Place the skin in the infusion as soon as it becomes tepid, and allow it to remain for at least three weeks; remove, shake well, peg on a board, and allow to dry. The length of time required in tanning a skin depends upon its thickness and upon the strength of the solution. With a strong solution the time is lessened; but it is not advisable to use a strong infusion at first, or the skin may be only superficially tanned. Treating as has been described, three weeks is a fair time to give it.