V. P. Markov

Study of the Tanning Plants of the Central Altai

In the summer of 1917, on the instructions of the T. T. I. and the All-Russian Union of Tanners, I made a trip through the central Altai with the aim of collecting samples of tanning materials and determining the possibility of establishing an extract plant in the Altai. The itinerary and the plan of analytical work were developed by me and K. Tyumentsev with the participation of E. Povaredin. The latter also prepared the final editing of the present report.

In view of the delay in the remittance of money from the Leather Union, I was able to leave Tomsk only on 2 June, and only on 17 June, after prolonged delays en route, was I able to arrive at the village of Kotanda, whence expeditions to the Altai usually set out.

The hiring of horses and guides and the equipping of the caravan took some more time, and only on 24 June were we able to set out. The caravan consisted of myself, my companions K. G. Tyumentsev and A. D. Turbaba, and two guides. There were 5 pack horses under baggage; entirely unsuitable carts for the outlying parts were taken as well for collecting samples. In addition, a study was to be made of the mineral springs in the vicinity of the village of Kotanda, a water sample was to be taken, and its radioactivity determined.

On the way the duties were distributed as follows: I was chiefly responsible for collecting samples of tanning plants, drying them, and, in addition, examining any medicinal springs encountered. K. G. Tyumentsev kept the travel diary, recorded elevations, and made botanical and geological collections. A. D. Turbaba had no definite duties.

Leaving the village of Kotanda, we set off along the usual road to the Rakhmanov springs, along the rivers Multa, Proyezdnaya, Zaychikha, Sobachya [[unclear: river name]], crossing the rivers Tikhaya and Ozernaya; then, along the rivers [[unclear: Spasovka]] and [[unclear]], we drove to the upper course of the Katun River. Here, having deviated from the usual route, we turned toward Lake Yazevoye and along the Yazevka River, Bereni, and Bukhtarma drove as far as the village of Kotan-Karagai, in order to replenish certain supplies. Here A. D. Turbaba separated from us and went to Tomsk.

Returning again to the village of Bereni, we drove to the Rakhmanov springs, where we were detained for three days, partly for determining the radioactivity of the springs and partly because of bad weather.

From here we crossed into the valley of the Chyornaya Bereni River, and along it drove into the valley of the Koksa-Argutskaya River, past Lake Koklin, from which both the Koksa River and the Chyornaya Bereni River take their source.

Along the valley of the Koksa River we descended to its very mouth; then along the rivers Argut, Yalater, and Dzhumal to the warm springs near the Chinese border, hitherto not yet investigated by anyone.

These springs are located beyond the forest boundary at an elevation of about 2,400 meters, 20 sazhens from the channel of the Dzhumal River. Their water is slightly alkaline in taste; its temperature is 20–22°C; gas is noticeably released. Its radioactivity is not great (4–5 units). The springs are often visited by Kalmyks and Kirghiz.

Having returned to the mouth of the Koksa River, we traveled by the usual route along the Argut River and, crossing several high passes in the valleys of the Bortuldag, Kair, and Oroktay rivers, returned again to the village of Kotanda.

In addition, during this journey we made side trips to the upper valley of the Mul’ta River and to Lake Tal’men’e.

During the first of these we ascended the glacier discovered in 1914 by I. V. Gebler, but not explored by him. Along this glacier we walked, under difficult conditions, through deep snow for about 1½ versts, trying to reach the watershed with Lake Tal’men’e; but, in view of the late hour and the snow that had begun to fall, we had to turn back, not reaching the crest of the ridge by only 100–200 sazhens.

During the second trip—to the headwaters of the Tal’menka River, which flows into Lake Tal’men’e—we examined in greater detail the glacier discovered by us in 1915, but at that time not explored. Now we managed to climb above it, photograph it, and make a rough survey. The glacier proved to be fairly considerable, about 2 versts long and ½ verst wide (in its narrow part); at its lower end it is divided by a rocky crest into two streams, of which the northern one descends to a small lake, almost entirely covered with blocks of ice. The height of the end of the glacier is about 2300 m.

After a short rest in Kotanda and some additional exploration of its environs, we ascended the valley of the Chindeka River to the Terektinskii Range and, having passed through the headwaters of the Kotanda River, descended into the valley of the Bol’shoi Eloman River, where, amid typical karst terrain, we sought out a cold spring, enjoying great fame among the Altaians. From a cleft in the rock a waterfall falls here, giving rise to one of the “branches” of the Bol’shoi Eloman River. The water is cold (2.5°C), but it possesses no activity whatever—obviously it is snow water. In this locality there are many sinkholes, where snow-fed streams disappear and, after several tens of sazhens, probably also appear again in the form of such a spring. Heals, as they say, sore eyes and wounds; owing to the absolute purity of the water, and perhaps to its lime content. If it is dirty, of course, one washing of the eyes or wound with clean water 10 times a day, as they practice, may be beneficial.

Descending the valley of the Bol’shoi Eloman River, we came out onto the Chuya Highway, along which we traveled to the station of Myiuty, where we turned east to Chemal.

In Chemal I lived for about a week, making daily riding excursions in the surroundings, after which, on 16 August, I departed for the city of Tomsk.

The result of the observations and collections made along this long route consists in the information presented below on the distribution of badan and other tanning plants of Altai.

1. Badan (Saxifraga crassifolia). Badan grows almost throughout the entire route traversed. Everywhere on the steep mountain slopes (with the exception of southern ones, where it occurs more rarely), on stones covered with a thin layer of humus, even on a cursory inspection one can notice glades completely overgrown with it. Very often such glades are also found on shady forest slopes. These glades stand out sharply among the remaining greenery by their richer, brighter tone. The leaves of badan are glossy, as if coated with varnish, and very fleshy. They occupy the whole area of the glades—not only is bare ground nowhere visible, but there is even almost no other grass. Badan smothers everything; together with it only moss can survive, and only along the edges of the glades are other plants found.

Practically, the quantity of other herbs on the area occupied by badan is reduced to zero.

In this self-purity and uniformity of thickets of badan lies its chief advantage over other tanning plants of Altai, with the exception of larch. Whereas the roots of other tanning plants are intertwined with extraneous, unnecessary roots, which often constitute the overwhelming majority, here one may take everything.

that all this will be the roots of badan, which is always easy in comparison with others, and tearing out the roots of badan is not difficult. Whereas the roots of Polygonum alpinum, goryanka, and others have to be dug out of dense earth, often from a considerable depth, and then the unnecessary secondary roots and soil have to be carefully cut away, badan’s rhizomes form a dense network at the very surface of the soil. Often it is only necessary to pull out one bush of badan in order, without any tools, to draw from the ground several arshins of thick roots, almost free of earth. In some cases I managed, with the help of a spade or simply by hand, to collect in this way up to 30 poods of roots in 1/4 hour from an area of only about 2 square arshins. Thus it was, in the vicinity of the village of Chemal, on a moist forested northern slope, where the loose soil allowed the roots to develop freely, without becoming embedded in crevices between stones. In other cases, especially if the thickets of badan are situated on rocks, conditions are less favorable, since the roots of badan, in search of soil, tightly fill every crevice and are torn out only with difficulty. On the average, I think, one may reckon on collecting 4–5 poods of raw roots from 1 square arshin.

The individual glades occupied by badan have a comparatively small area, sometimes only 1–2 square arshins, but they are usually situated close to one another, [[unclear: several words]] work may be carried on by moving from one group to another, without paying attention to the separate glades. In some especially favorable cases, badan occupies an area of several hundred square arshins, entirely covered with badan. This usually happens on rather steep but even forested, strongly shaded slopes, under conditions of fairly considerable moisture.

The wide area of distribution also makes badan one of the most important tanning plants of the Altai.

A rare plant has such a wide vertical distribution as badan. It grows both on rock fragments in the Katun valley at an elevation of about 400 m, and beyond the forest boundary at an elevation of 2400 m (the headwaters of the Rakhmanovskii Spring—Belaya Berel). Only in the latter case does it have to crowd into cracks in the rocks, where almost no other plant survives; it has a stunted appearance, but one need only descend a little below the forest boundary and its appearance becomes normal. The high-mountain plants yield a comparatively small amount of roots and leaves when collected, as is evident from the appended table, although their content of tannins and non-tannins is high. The chief collection should be recommended at an elevation of 500–2000 meters.

In view of this, it is distributed over the entire area except for the southern slopes (they, one might say, are usually treeless) and the bottoms of valleys, where it is displaced by more moisture-loving plants. Here it grows only on the talus of screes. Along the route I traversed I did not encounter it only in the valley of the Argut and Bukhtarma, where the slopes of the mountains are dry and treeless. From Biryuksa to the northern slope of the Narym Range, according to reports from local inhabitants, it grows in large quantities. I myself was not there. In general, south of the main Katun Range, badan is encountered more rarely, and the collection of leaves and roots per square arshin is smaller. My largest collections were in the vicinity of Chemal, where sometimes the roots reach extraordinary size (20–25 m/m in diameter). Here I examined only the nearest surroundings, 15–25 versts away, since for lack of time and money I could not travel into the mountains east of Chemal, although people told me that badan is encountered there still more often and that its root is coarser. The northernmost localities of badan known to me in the region I visited are in the vicinity of the village of Novaya Belokurikha, where in the mountains I happened, on a previous trip, to find clearings of badan, but here its quantity is no longer great.

As a tanning material, badan can play a significant role, owing to the considerable percentage of tannins. Since the samples were collected at very different times, it is difficult to say on what the observed large fluctuations in the percentage of these and of non-tannides depend: on the properties of the soil, the time of year, the altitude of the locality, or the age of the roots. It was definitely observed only that the percentage of moisture decreases with altitude. Roots collected in the valley of the Chemal River (500 m) lose about 60% when dried; those collected in the valley of the Sary-Saz River (2000 m), only 50%. In the usual calculation of air-dry material, these fluctuations may be taken as equal. This tannin is very soluble, which hampers the preparation of dense extracts from badan; it is also unsuitable for slow and accelerated tanning with a straight-leaf currant admixture.

The roots are crushed and extracted easily. The extract obtained is the color of weak tea. In tanning, leather of a beautiful orange color is obtained. As for the leaves, they contain fewer non-tannides than the roots, with the same quantity of tannins, contrary to the data of the Laboratory of the V.O.K.Z.

The speed of drying does not substantially affect the percentage of tannins, but with slow drying the leaves blacken and yield an extract of a dark coffee color, which makes the leather dark. In general, the leaves need not be counted on especially, since their collection amounts in practice to only \( \frac{1}{3}—\frac{1}{5} \) of the root collection (see below), and they are more likely to serve as a substitute for tea, for which purpose they are now gathered in considerable quantity. In fact, an infusion of the leaves is difficult to distinguish in taste and smell from brick tea, and it is used for this purpose often by the Altai natives and the Old Believers.

A disadvantage of badan is the difficulty of drying the thick roots and leaves.

Larch (Larix sibirica). The coniferous forests occupying the greater part of the area of Altai consist chiefly of larch. In respect to distribution it undoubtedly has no competitors; badan lags far behind it. Along the banks of rivers and streams it yields place to fir, spruce, and birch; over the remaining area it has as its rival only cedar and, in the foothills, pine. The latter does not extend above—

*) In Kniga G. Povarnin (tanning materials) gives the average \(T : NT = 30.5\% : 20.2\), with the indication that Altai roots contain somewhat fewer tannins than Transbaikal ones.

1000–1100 fathoms above sea level (Mt. Krestovaya near Chemal); cedar, although it yields to larch in abundance, is often found at approximately the same forest boundary, sometimes rising higher than larch by 50–100 m. Larch forests are not distinguished by density; the trees sometimes grow in several sazhen from one another, but not so densely as to give the forest that gloomy severity characteristic of cedar forests. Everywhere there is much light and greenery.

The trees, slender and not stunted by crowding, attain considerable height and thickness. In the exploitation of forests, timber will, of course, constitute the principal product, while the bark will be obtained as a by-product. In this lies the fundamental difference from badan, in which the whole plant can serve as a tanning material.

Convenient removal of timber is an indispensable condition for the possibility of utilizing larch. This will greatly hamper the use of the forests of the Central Altai. Larch bark, often used by the local population for tanning, contains 5–10%, on average 7.03% (from 3 samples collected by the author) of tannins and somewhat fewer non-tannins). It is easily crushed and extracted, giving a clear extract of red-orange color. Leather tanned with larch acquires a reddish color. The use of larch bark for obtaining tanning extract is quite possible under the above-mentioned conditions of transport and processing. Here sawmills already in operation in the flow area of the Biya and Katun may help; the forest can be floated. But the bark [[unclear: several words obscured]] cannot.

Willows. Thickets of willows, of various species, are often found in river valleys, but they never form a sufficient reserve of material for an extract factory. I encountered more significant thickets in the broad valleys of the lower Katun and Bukhtarma, in smaller quantity in the valley of the Argut, at the mouth of the Karagema River, in the valley of the Kair River, and in some other places.

Thus, where both occur in large quantities, they are used for tanning and are preferred to larch; but for a large enterprise they cannot be of importance.

“Red root.” Hedysarum obscurum (Papilionaceae)** is a leguminous plant of the same family as sainfoin, growing mainly in the upper valleys of streams on damp gravel beds. Roots up to 20 mm thick go deep into the ground, attaining considerable length. They are dug out with difficulty. The collection of roots reaches 10–15 pounds from one bush. The roots contain up to 18½% tannins with a considerably smaller quantity of non-tannins (8.9%). They are extracted easily. The extract is light-brown in color and filters with difficulty.

It would be a very valuable material were it not for its comparative rarity in the Altai, owing to which no considerable quantity of roots can be obtained. Its main area of distribution is the tundra; a detailed investigation of it in the tundras is necessary (see map II). According to private information, it grows in large quantity in the lower reaches of the Yenisei.

Sanguisorba alpina) (krovokhlebka). A large, up to 1½ arshins high, herbaceous plant, often encountered in rather considerable quantities in alpine meadows and near the forest boundary (1900–2200 m). The rootstocks, reaching 15–20 mm in thickness and up to an arshin in length,

* See data of “Gub. mat.”, p. 146.
*) The bark at the factories contains up to 10% tannin; evidently the age of the trees and the time of collection play a role.
**) In contrast to the preceding tanning plants, according to Wiesner, it is not included among the dyeing plants.

are easily pulled out, even by hand, and again resemble the rhizomes of bergenia. They are ground and extracted easily; in appearance the extract is not distinguishable from bergenia extract. The tannin content is the same as in bergenia (18.9%); the content of non-tannides is lower (10.8%).

The plants occur in insufficient quantity to play an independent role, but they can be collected and processed together with bergenia.

Sanguisorba officinalis. In the properties of its extract and in tannide content it is similar to the one just described. The hot extract has a strong odor of salicylic-methyl ether. It occurs often, but not in masses, in clearings and meadows up to the forest boundary. It can be collected along the way.

We see little significance in the following fairly plentifully collected plants: Potentilla fruticosa, P. chrysantha,) various species of geranium, and Polygonum bistorta*.

Potentilla fruticosa v. arborescens is a shrub up to 1–1½ arshins high. The bark contains almost no tannides.**) The leaves are richer in tannides (up to 10%), with a considerable quantity of non-tannides (up to 14%). The collection of leaves is troublesome; they are very bulky. The quality of the material does not cover the inconveniences of collection, and therefore it cannot play any role, although it occurs often and in large quantities along the whole route.

By contrast, various species of geranium constitute a poor material; the roots are rich in tannides, but, although they occur often, they occur in such small quantities that they cannot be of importance.

As for Polygonum bistorta, an unfavorable circumstance here is the insignificant dimensions of the roots (4–5 cm long and 1 cm in diameter), which, with [[unclear: one or two words]] meadow soil, are so difficult to extract that the collection of this material requires an enormous amount of labor. Therefore, although in terms of its chemical properties and especially in terms of [[unclear: two or three words]] as a tanning material it [[unclear: ending of sentence]].

All the data reported above may be summarized in the following table, where the notation is:

× — excellent quality
+ — good
− — unsatisfactory.

) In the list of tanning plants, Davydov does not give P. chrysantha.
*) Contrary to the data of Div. De Loosgüben, 121, which speak of tannide in the bark, but do not mention the leaves.

[[unclear: continuation from previous page]] the preceding can have the same importance for extract production as larch; consequently, surveys may be aimed at acquaintance with them. This material, however, has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of larch is a large reserve of it; the cheap collection of bark, since it is obtained only as a by-product in forest exploitation; there is no need to seek out stands. The disadvantage is the smaller percentage of tannins. The advantages of fir are the higher percentage of tannins and the use of the whole plant; otherwise, the concerns over felling and transporting the wood are eliminated, as with larch; the disadvantages are the comparatively large percentage of non-tannins, including, apparently, many coloring substances that greatly hinder the concentration of the extract, and the great remoteness from settled localities.

In either case, the chief difficulty is not to find the material in sufficient quantity, but to find it in a locality equally convenient both for the delivery of raw materials to the plant and for the shipment of finished products.

We now turn to clarifying the question of the quantity of reserves of these two materials that are convenient for exploitation, and of the most advantageous point for building the plant. The industrial reserves of larch in the Central Altai could not be used in view of the impossibility of transporting the forest. With a distance of 400 versts separating the Altai from the place where the forest is marketed, the Biya is, of course, the only advantageous route [[unclear: several words]]. But rafting along the Biya and especially its tributaries is extremely difficult because of the inconvenience of rafting and the distance of 500 versts separating the upper course of the Katun from Chemal. Not counting the very upper sections up to Uimon, below there are likewise impassable stretches even for rafts, such as at the mouths of the rivers Kadrin and Sumulta. The main obstacle is the Edzhigan rapid.*

Here a full-water, swift river, reaching above and below up to 80 sazhens in width, is blocked for a distance of several hundred sazhens by transverse rocky ridges up to 3–5 sazhens [[unclear: high/deep]]. The river churns so much that only splinters can remain of individual logs here.

Below Chemal the locality is more favorable. Rafting proceeds more freely and with danger only through the greatest rapid [[unclear: name]], and, in addition, the area is already settled so densely that the expenses of clearing the bed of the Katun as far as the village of Mineevka (100 versts from the mouth) for the passage of steamers would be justified, and higher only enough so that rafts could pass safely.

The best water route is the Biya River. Although it does not flow through the district I surveyed, there is reason to think that in its basin, with regard to reserves of larch and badan, matters stand otherwise.

The rapids of the Biya are not so dangerous, and recently it has even been possible to bring a small missionary steamer to Lake Teletskoye; a larger treasury steamer did not reach Lake Teletskoye (in 1910) by only 40 versts. Rafts are floated along its entire length.

The presence of two waterways compels us to consider the area between the Biya and the Katun the most important district with respect to the exploitation of larch. Since the marketing of the forest is assured, a very considerable quantity of bark can be harvested—at any rate, not less than several hundred thousand poods—and, moreover, it will be inexpensive. The question of the locality where an extract plant should be built may be resolved differently depending on whether it is desirable to set it up in a remote [[unclear: continuation on next page]].

* 35 versts above the village of Chemal.

or else several smaller ones. In the latter case their place will be near the forest outlets along the Katun, for example by the villages of Chemal or Manzherok. But the installation of these will be less advantageous than the installation of one large one. In such a case it would be most rational, in my opinion, to arrange a plant at the confluence of the Biya with the Katun, i.e. in Biisk, where, on the same rafts of prepared timber, it would be convenient to deliver both bark from the Ob basin and bark from the Biya and Katun. The actual construction of the plant here would be cheaper.

Turning to the locality lying west of the Katun, we encounter the circumstance that the rivers serving it are too small for floating at summer low water. In spring, however, they are too torrential. Such are the rivers Peschanaya, Anui, and the middle course of the Charysh River. One may attempt here to organize the floating of timber in separate logs as far as the Ob, along which the bark could be delivered either to the same plant in the vicinity of the city of Biisk or to a special one lower down on the Ob. The situation will become more favorable if a railway line is laid advancing into the interior of the Altai, which would not encounter especially many technical difficulties in view of the slight fall of the valleys, which rise gently toward the passes. The line could run, for example, to the Cherny Anui River, easily cross over into the valley of the Kan River and then into the valley of the Urusul River. The passes here are not higher than 1300 m; there are no particularly steep ascents. Meanwhile, even under present conditions, one could count on a considerable export of livestock products and forest materials. There is no doubt also that, after the line is laid, the locality itself would revive considerably, and in particular one could count on a flourishing dairy industry.

The total number of suitable [[unclear: word]] of regions remote from waterways will at the same time determine the possibility of factories for dry distillation of wood. In [[unclear: circumstances]] it is advantageous to arrange such plants in parallel with the sawmills, [[unclear: since]] the situation in such remote localities, [[unclear: when]] valuable products of deep extract of wood, resin, and acetic acid are able to cover transport over a great distance better than a comparatively low-value forest cargo; charcoal and tar, however, will find use on the spot.

Badan is found under somewhat different conditions. First of all, here one must pay more careful attention to the possible reserve of material, since in this respect badan is inferior to larch, whose bark can be procured in any desired quantity, provided only that there is assured marketing of the timber. On the other hand, the matter is facilitated by the fact that badan can go into business entirely, and there is no need to concern oneself with the marketing of by-products.

An exact clarification of the question of the reserve of badan is possible only through a detailed survey of the locality, which was impossible in the short time at my disposal. This work can be successfully carried out only by several special reconnaissance parties, each with a definite, not too large, area of activity. The approximate calculation given below therefore makes no claim to special accuracy; in many respects its figures are subjective and may in practice change considerably.

For the calculation I take the locality more familiar to me, the region of the Uimon, where I had been previously as well. The figures thereby obtained will be more or less applicable to other localities as well.

I have already said that the area of distribution of badan coincides with the forest area; therefore we can approximately obtain an area where badan is a common plant by starting from the total area of—

the area is about 10–15% in valleys, tending toward the area of Alpine meadows, and about 25% on the southern slopes of the ridges (especially the southern slopes—as a general rule in Altai—about 50% of the total area on which, on this slope or less *), the area of thickets of badan (on the river valleys of the latter slopes they appear as 10–15 sq. sazhens of glades).

In view of this, it may be calculated that the area occupied by badan will be not less than 0.2% of the entire area. Taking the stock of raw roots per square arshin (probably it will be larger) as

\[ \text{per 1 sq. verst, } \frac{0.002 \times 2500000 \times 9 \times 4}{40} = 450 \text{ poods of roots and rhizomes,} \]

\[ \frac{450}{7} = 64 \text{ poods of leaves.} \]

Assuming that annually only \(1/5\) of the total quantity of roots will be collected, and \(1/2\) of the leaves (at the end of the harvest), we obtain a harvest from 1 sq. verst:

\[ \frac{450}{5}=90 \text{ p. of roots, } \frac{64}{2}=32 \text{ p. of leaves.} \]

Generally speaking, these figures are rather low.

In the given district there may be taken as suitable an area extending 30 versts above the village of Ust-Koksa [[unclear: and about]] 100 versts in width, [[unclear: covering]] both sides; this area will amount to about [[unclear: 5000]] square versts, or even if one reckons the figure at 25 versts, then—5000 sq. versts. The possible harvest will be expressed in total as:

\[ 90 \times (5000\text{—}6000)=\text{about }500000\text{ p. of raw roots,} \]

\[ 32 \times (5000\text{—}6000)=160000\text{ p. of leaves,} \]

or, air-dry: 250000 p. of roots, 56000 p. of leaves.

If the enterprise is undertaken, the mountain paths will undoubtedly be improved and new wheeled roads will be laid, which will make it possible to exploit strips not 50–60 versts wide, but 80, thanks to which the output will increase to 400–500 thousand poods of dry roots and 100 thousand poods of leaves.

With a similar calculation for the Ongudai district, we may take the length of the district from the village of Raizetnaya to [[unclear: the mouth]] of the Mazherok, i.e. about 100 versts, and a width on both sides of 40 versts. The area = 8000 sq. versts.

Taking into account that there are almost no Alpine meadows here and that the badan itself grows somewhat better here, we may take the annual harvest as about 150 poods per sq. verst, and in all:

\[ 1200000 \text{ p. raw } = 600000 \text{ p. dry roots,} \]

\[ 300000 \text{ p. } \quad = 100000 \text{ p. leaves.} \]

Taking into account that the laying of wheeled roads to the glades and small rivers will meet no particular difficulties here, and that in this connection the area covered will correspondingly expand, in which the localities rich in badan along the watershed between the Biya and the Katun will then be included—we may boldly double this figure.

One may count on similar extraction also in the basin of the Biya and Lake Teletskoye.

Above all, attention will of course have to be given to the Chemal district, as being closer to the waterway. At the same time, with respect to the selection of the factory site, it must be accepted that, in the event of clearing the root

\[ \text{*) In view of the packing of the plant.} \]

for the passage of rafts, on which the roots could be floated, it would be more advantageous to build the plant at the point where the Biya joins the Katun, so that it would serve both the Katun and the Biysk districts at the same time. If this is not done, then the plant will most conveniently be set up in the middle of the collecting area, i.e., in Chemal.

The central district (the Uimon region, the valley of the Koksa River, the Urusul River), comprising the main Katun Range, the Terektinsky Range, and more minor ones, should for the time being be left unexploited because of their remoteness. The more northern district in the basins of the Anui and the Peschanaya will partly, and in its insufficiently rich part, join the Chemal district.

Let us now consider the course of collecting and delivering the roots to the plant, and on this basis derive the approximate cost of a pood of root. The following operations will be involved here:

1) Collecting roots in the mountains.
2) Delivery by pack animals to the cart road or to the drying shed.
3) Drying of roots and leaves.
4) Delivery of roots and leaves by cart to the plant.

For the first operation, small parties of workers should be distributed in the mountains; they will carry their day’s collection at first to the camp, and from there, with teenage drovers, to the cart road.

Each worker will be able to accumulate about 6 poods of roots per day and leave them at the camp; for every 2 workers, 3 pack horses will be required.

It is desirable that the camps be no farther than 25 versts from the cart road, so that the pack horses can return the same day. One may count on up to 4 poods of roots per pack; larger carts will be introduced for conveyance [[unclear: several words obscured]].

Along the cart road, drying sheds may be arranged in order to reduce transportation costs. Supervision of the drying will take 2–3 hours.

Drying the roots and especially the leaves of badan is a long and difficult operation. Thick, juicy roots and leaves, unless cut into small pieces, will dry, with artificial heating and ventilation, the former in 4–5 days and the latter in 3 days. Natural air-drying is almost impossible; in a laboratory, for example, roots (uncut) dried only after 3–4 weeks. Slow drying of the leaves is especially inadmissible, since they darken greatly and the aqueous extract turns the color of black coffee. Badan roots, however, may remain raw for a long time without harm to the work. I, for example, transported roots collected in mid-August, and they remained raw at first in the entryway at a temperature of about 0°, then in the laboratory (in a canvas sack that prevented evaporation) until January. At the same time, some of them put out shoots up to 1 vershok long, but analysis showed no noticeable difference from roots of the same collection that had been dried on the spot.

In view of the laboriousness of drying, it is perhaps better to carry it out at the plant, delivering raw roots there and chopping them with a slicing machine.

Counting about 30 poods of roots for each cart, assuming that the journey to the plant and back will take two days, and that for every five carts there will be one carrier, the transport of 1,000 poods will require:

$$ \text{Carts} \quad \frac{1000}{30} \times 2 = 66 \text{ working days of horses} $$

$$ \text{drivers} \quad \frac{66}{5} = 13 \text{ working days}. $$

Thus, the costs of delivering 1,000 poods of root (raw) to the plant will amount, at wartime prices, to:

When drying on the spot:

Since drying at the factory, on a larger scale, will cost less per pood than in small drying sheds, it is possible that it will prove more advantageous to bring in the roots raw.

Thus, one pood of dry roots will cost the factory:

\[ \frac{857}{500} = 1\ \text{r.}\ 72\ \text{k.} \]

Before the war, local inhabitants offered to gather roots for a payment of 1.20–1.50 rubles per pood of dry root, but this price must rise very quickly.

If the factory is not established at the place where the roots grow, on the one hand the payment for delivering the roots to the factory will be added to the payment for labor; on the other hand, the costs of carts will decrease, since the haulage will be to the nearest landing stage and not to the site of the factory. In the final result the figure will change little.

In concluding the present report I must say that, although [[unclear: there are]] no figures that would allow one to determine the cost of the extract from the quantity of bark of the larch, in my opinion, in view of the fact that it is a waste product of forestry, exploitation of it will prove more advantageous.

In the following tables are given the results of analyses of collected samples of tanning materials. Analysis of the materials was carried out by the official method, with chrome-leather powder. The quantity of material extracted was taken as follows: bergenia, red root, and bistort at 15 g, the others up to 25 g, depending on the greater or lesser percentage of tannins. Extraction was conducted at 90–100%, after preliminary soaking with water at room temperature during the night. Evaporation of the primary extract, decolorized and filtered, was carried out in flat glass dishes. The solution was taken in amounts of 25 cc. Each analysis was conducted in two trials, and the figures given are the averages of both determinations. All figures are given with the moisture content reduced to 13%.

TABLE

To the article “Tanning Plants of the Central Altai.”

Areas of distribution of shrubby tanning plants of Altai
(compiled by L. M. [[unclear: surname]])

Legend

• area of distribution of [[unclear: plant name]]
• area of distribution of [[unclear: plant name]]
• area of distribution of [[unclear: plant name]]
• area of distribution of [[unclear: plant name]]

Visible place names on the map include: Barnaul, Biysk, Semipalatinsk, Omsk, [[unclear: place name]], Krasnoyarsk, Sayan Mountains.

Legend

— Cedar region.
— Fir district.
······ Birch stand.

Map labels visible

• Teletskoye Lake
• Biya
• Chulyshman
• Bashkaus
• Katun
• Chuya
• Chemal
• Cherga
• Onguday
• Ust-Kan
• Uimon
• Kosh-Agach
• Kurai
• Ulagan
• [[unclear: several small settlement and river names on the map]]