Of recent years this timber has also been put to another use--that of
producing tan. When used for this purpose, the tree was cut down, its
outer sapwood removed, and then taken to the river to be finally shipped
to the United States of America or to Germany.
It was soon found that the railway and shipping freight charges absorbed
a considerable amount of the profits to be obtained in making this
tannin extract abroad, and, therefore, extract factories were erected in
Argentina. The process of obtaining the extract is very simple; the logs
are first put through a machine which reduces them to chips, the chips
are then boiled in water till all soluble matter is extracted from them,
and the solution obtained is concentrated down to the consistency of
pitch; in this form, after being dried, it is exported, and is used by
tanners the world over. The great necessity and essence of success, in
the present way of working the business, is good water and plenty of it.
We do not know who first noticed the tannin material oozing out of these
trees, but no doubt attention was called to the fact by pools in the
neighbourhood of the trees being often red in colour. Undoubtedly the
Germans first took this business up on a large scale, and to-day they
hold an enormous quantity of forest lands.
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