drying process. If wet by rain during this operation, the fruit is spoiled. The dried fruits resemble a slightly shriveled plum. They are hard, about 1 inch in length, and possess a bitter astringent taste. The peel surrounding the kernel contains most of the tannin. Considerable economy of freight would result in cracking the nuts in India and exporting only the tannin containing shells. Due, however, to the comparative ease with which the crushed product may be adulterated and the difficulty of adulterating the whole nut, the trade has a strong preference for the whole nuts. As imported, the dried myrobalans contain 3 to 7 per cent water and yield about 10 per cent ash on ignition. Myrobalans is a pyrogallol tanning material. The tannin is largely ellagitannic acid; the content is 30 to 40 per cent. In addition, there are present small quantities of brownish coloring matters. USES. If Myrobalans is an important tanning agent. It has limited application in the dyeing of blacks and as mordant in fixing basic colors. In Bombay it is used for dyeing a buff shade on cotton. Myrobalans also have application in the manufacture of inks. In tanning, myrobalans is used in conjunction with other tanning agents. used alone the leather is porous, soft, mellow, and of good color and fair weight. As a substitute for the more expensive sumac it is used on the light leathers. It has large use in the tanning of sole leather. In admixture with darker tanning agents as hemlock, it is of great value on account of its tannin strength, brightness of color, and the light colored bloom it rapidly deposits in or on the leather. Of great importance is the acidity developed by myrobalans which in the tanning process neutralizes the lime left in the leather after the liming process, and also plumps" the leather thereby assisting in the ready uniform penetration of the tannin. These essential organic acids result from the fermentation of nontannin matters in the myrabolans. Manufacture of extract.-The hard fruit first receives a coarse crushing to break the outer shell. Care is taken to avoid crushing the kernel as the extract from the broken nut lowers the quality of the final product. The extraction is carried out with boiling water in copper autoclaves arranged according to the counter current system. The water used should be soft and free from iron. The liquid, after filtration, is evaporated in triple effect evaporators to a liquid of 43° Tw. and 51° Tw. with a tannin content of 25 per cent and 30 per cent, respectively. Solid extract is made in smaller quantity. The solid extract contains about 50 per cent tannin and is inclined to become moist and sticky in hot, damp weather. The equipment used in the manufacture of myrobalan extract is similar to that used in the preparation of sumac extract. One domestic extract manufacturer produced myrobalan extract during the war. Previous to the war, other plants made myrobalan extract. The investment in equipment is several thousand dollars per barrel per day output. The plants are 'cated on or near the Atlantic seaboard. DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND IMPORTS. The domestic production of myrobalan extract is not separately listed in the Census of Manufactures. In the period 1908-1914, the imports of fruit varied from 19,735,724 pounds valued at $195,264 in 1913, to 55,445,896 pounds valued at $484,570 in 1910. The average annual import for this period was 29,926,744 pounds, valued at $281,121. Assuming the average yield to be 75 per cent of the weight of fruit in terms of 51° Tw. extract, 22,445,058 pounds represents the average annual output of extract in the United States during the above period. In the period 1915-1918 the imports of fruit showed considerable fluctuation. In 1916, 25,612,765 pounds were imported with a value of $375,401. In 1918 the imports decreased to 4,408,522 pounds, the minimum in the period 1908-1919. The imports of extract are not separately listed in Commerce and Navigation. In 1914 Pickrell gives the import of solid extract as 88,881 pounds, valued at $3,030, and the import of liquid extract as 95,845 pounds, valued at $2,237. In both cases the source of the imports was England. The imports consist largely of the fruit, with small amounts of extract; the extract imported is only given for 1914. Previous to 1910 a considerable part of our imports of myrobalans came from England, although these originally came from India. In 1910 the United States imported 33,418,896 pounds from India, and 14,614,544 pounds from England. In 1915, 1917, 1918, no imports came fom England and in 1916, 60,592 pounds were shipped from this source. PRICES. Myrobalans fruit was quoted at $24-$28 per ton in January, 1912. After a small increase the price abruptly rose to $40-$50 a ton in the lat or part of 1914. In 1915 the price receded to $30-$35 per ton, increasing during 1916-17 to the maximum of $65 per ton in January, 1918. In January, 1920, myrobalans was quoted at $55-$60 ton ton. TARIFF HISTORY. Myrobalans fruit is on the free list. The extract although not specifically mentioned is duty free. (Abstract 37917 of 1915.) TARIFF CONSIDERATIONS. Myrobalans fruit is a tanning material of foreign origin; it does not grow in the United States. Domestic manufacturers of myrobalan extract have reported keen competition with the foreign-made extract in the prewar period. It is indirectly competitive to domestic tanning materials. The tariff problem is largely restricted to chest nut extract. 1 Pickrell, Dr. E. R.: "Chemicals and Allied Substances used in the U. S. Department of Commerce, Misc. Series No. 82. |