,,bamboo1      ,,considered    ,,as ,a  
,,paper-,,making ,,material4            
,,with        ,,remarks ,,upon ,,its    
,,cultivation ,,and ,,treatment4        
,,supplemented ,,by    ,a               
,,consideration ,,of ,,the ,,present    
,,position ,,of ,,the ,,paper    ,,trade
 ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,supply    
,,of ,,raw ,,material4          ,,by    
,,thomas ,,routledge4                   
,illustration3 logo        ,,london3    
,e4  ,f4 ,n4 ,,spon1 #dh1 ,,charing     
,,cross1      ,,new ,,york3    #ddf1    
,,broome ,,street4    #ahge4            
,this ,pamphlet is printed on ,paper    
made by the ,author from ,bamboo4       
,,bamboo1    ,,considered ,,as ,a       
,,material ,,for ,,paper      ,,remarks 
,,upon ,,its ,,cultivation ,,and        
,,treatment4    ,of all the             
fibre-yielding plants known to botanical
 science there  is not one so well      
calculated to meet the pressing         
requirements of  the ,paper-trade as    
,,bamboo1 both as regards facility and  

economy  of production1 as well as the  
quality of the ,paper-,stock which  can 
be manufactured therefrom3 grown under  
favourable conditions of  climate and   
soil1 there is no plant which will give 
so heavy a crop of  available fibre to  
the acre1 no plant which requires so    
little care for  its cultivation and    
continuous production4    ,the rapidity 
of the growth of ,,bamboo is unequalled4
 ,at ,gehzireh1  the gardens of the     
,khedive of ,egypt at ,cairo1 it has    
been known  to grow nine inches in a    
single night4 ,at ,syon ,house1 the     
,duke of  ,northumberland's1 stems of   
,bambusa ,gigantea have attained the    
height of #fj feet in #ab weeks2 and ,i 
have made ,paper-,stock from a  stem of 
,bambusa ,vulgaris1 sent me by ,dr4     
,hooker1 from the ,royal  ,botanical    
,gardens at ,kew1 which1 as measured by 
the gardener in the  ,palm-house1 grew  
at the rate of three feet in a single   
week2 at  ,chatsworth1 the ,duke of     
,devonshire's1 this same variety 7the   

,bambusa  ,vulgaris7 has attained the   
height of #dj feet in #dj days4         
,throughout the ,east ,indies the       
,bamboo flourishes1 forming indeed  in  
many districts impenetrable jungles4 ,it
 grows abundantly also in  the ,west    
,indies1 in ,central and ,south         
,america1 the ,brazils1 in ,africa  and 
,asia2 in ,china especially1 and in     
,japan1 the plant is indigenous1  and   
the natives cultivate it carefully1     
employing it for almost every  article  
of convenience and luxury2 in fact1     
wherever heat and moisture  exist1 some 
species of the ,bamboo will be found1 or
 may be readily  cultivated4            
,attempts have from time to time been   
made in ,england1 and elsewhere1  to    
obtain from the ,,bamboo ,half-stuff or 
,pulp suitable for  the manufacture of  
paper1 and paper indeed has been made   
therefrom1  but hitherto these attempts 
have neither industrially nor           
commercially  attained successful       
results1 and for the following reasons4 

,hitherto the ,,bamboo has been         
collected and treated in a condition    
more or less of maturity1 or without    
regard to its age2 and when the  plant  
has attained its full growth the woody  
fibre is extremely dense  and indurated2
 when old1 indeed1 the exterior portion 
of the stem of  many varieties of the   
plant becomes so hard and silicious that
 it will1  like flint1 strike fire with 
steel4    ,owing to the presence of this
 large quantity of silica1 and the      
extreme  hardness of the stem when      
developed and matured1 it has been found
 by  all those who have hitherto        
experimentally treated ,,bamboo that the
  only possible means of converting it  
into ,pulp for ,paper-making1 has  been 
to subject it to long-continued boiling1
 or digesting1 in very  strong solutions
 of caustic alkali1 at an elevated      
temperature--in  other words1 at or     
under a pressure of ten to eleven       
atmospheres  7#aej to #afj lb4 pressure 
per square inch7--by which means a ,pulp

  has certainly been produced1 but at a 
great cost1 and the danger and          
practical difficulties of working under 
such high pressure1 have  deterred      
further progress in this direction4     
,i have found that when the stems of    
,bamboo1 are cut down at an early  stage
 of their growth1 when the plant is full
 of sap1 and before the  cellulose or   
cellular tissue1 and the lignine have   
become indurated1  and silica deposited2
 while1 in fact1 so to speak1 the plant 
may be  termed a succulent vegetable1   
and before it has become converted into 
wood1 that a very mild system of        
treatment in successive weak alkaline   
baths1 at atmospheric pressure only1    
suffices to decompose and render        
soluble the mucilaginous and other      
extractive compounds combined  naturally
 with the fibrous tissue of the plant1  
so that they may be  readily eliminated1
 or separated therefrom1 by subsequent  
washing1  leaving the residuary fibres  
pure and free4    ,a comparative        

illustration of the transitional stage  
of growth above  referred to1 showing   
the conversion of succulent vegetable   
fibrous  tissue1 into harsh woody fibre1
 may be remarked with ,asparagus1  the  
young and green stems of which1 are used
 as a delicacy for the  table1 a few    
weeks further growth converting them    
into hard woody  fibre1 which no amount 
of boiling would1 or could1 render      
palatable2  the ,asparagus1 indeed1 has 
its parallel in the ,bambusa ,edulis1 a 
variety of ,,bamboo1 the young stems of 
which are eaten and considered  very    
nourishing4    ,the ,,bamboo1 being an  
endogenous plant1 7that is to say1      
growing  from inside7 composed mainly of
 fibrous tissue1 combined with the      
ordinary sappy and other extractive     
matter common to all vegetable  growth1 
the stems do not require the elaborate  
preparatory manipulation  which is      
necessary to separate the fibrous1 from 
the extraneous and  woody matter1 which 
in exogenous plants 7i4 e4 growing from1

 or on  the outside7 must be removed1 as
 it is only the true fibre which is     
useable for ,textile ,manufactures4     
,such plants known to commerce as       
,,flax1 ,,hemp1 ,,jute1 ,,rhea1 c4  c41 
after having become mature1 and being   
dried1 have to undergo a  process of    
retting1 or steeping1 followed by       
scutching and heckling1 in  order to    
separate the ultimate fibres from the   
woody stem and bark to  which1 while in 
their normal condition1 they are        
attached4    ,the cost therefore1 of    
producing merchantable fibre from this  
class of  plants is very considerable1  
and the produce or yield of fibre1 to   
the  plant cultivated1 very small1 that 
of ,,flax being computed at from #e  to 
#f cwt41 ,,hemp #g cwt41 and ,,jute #e  
to #f cwt4 per acre1 ,,cotton  being    
much less2 ,,bamboo1 as ,i will         
presently show1 producing tons as       
compared with cwts4 of the foregoing1   
and1 be it noted1 with far less  cost   
for cultivation1 and the subsequent     

preparation of the fibre4    ,the stems 
of the ,,bamboo1 cut young1 as ,i       
propose to use them1  contain from #fj  
to #ge per cent4 of moisture2 it will be
 obvious1  therefore1 that to ensure a  
regular and continuous supply1 under    
economical conditions1 to a central     
factory for the manufacture of          
,paper-,stock1 plantations would have to
 be formed contiguous  thereto1 as      
practised with ,,sugar ,,cane1 or in a  
similar manner to  ,osier beds1 in      
,england4    ,i have mentioned the      
latter1 as in order to stimulate a      
rapid1 aqueous1  and sappy growth1 as   
also to provide for the dry seasons     
common to hot  countries1 a system of   
irrigation would be necessary1 such a   
system  indeed being at present         
practised with the ,,sugar ,,cane1 in   
,egypt1 ,spain1  and elsewhere4    ,with
 plantations of ,sugar ,cane1 to which  
plant the ,,bamboo somewhat  assimilates
 in character and growth1 it is         
necessary1 in order to  ripen the canes 

and develop saccharine1 to allow free   
ventilation to  the growing plant1 and  
thus the ground is not fully occupied2  
this  would not be the case with        
,,bamboo1 which should be planted and   
grown  closely together to favour the   
stems shooting upwards1 as practised    
with ,,hemp and ,,flax1 where fine      
staple of fibre is desired4    ,by      
following such a system1 the stools or  
roots once established1 a  systematical 
and regular cropping1 or cutting1 would 
ensue1 the stems  being all cut down    
simultaneously1 by sections or beds1 in 
regular  succession1 numerous croppings 
annually would thus be obtained1 and    
when necessary1 fresh beds would be     
formed1 the older growth being          
available for fuel for the manufactory4 
,the ,sugar ,cane from the time of      
planting1 to cutting1 takes from nine   
to twelve months to grow and mature2 but
 even thus grown1 the produce  of canes 
7ready dressed for the mill7 generally  
ranges from #cj to #ce  tons to the     

acre1 it sometimes exceeds #dj tons2    
allowing several crops  or cuttings     
annually for the ,,bamboo1 it may fairly
 be assumed that at  least this latter  
quantity would be obtained per acre4    
,allowing #bjh feet square to represent 
one acre2 divided into twelve  beds1    
each #if  #bf feet1 with twelve paths   
#if  #h #h wide1 and one  intersecting  
road #bjh  #af feet wide1 leaves a space
 for planting equal  to #bdif feet1 or  
#bi1ieb feet in the twelve beds2        
allowing the stems to  be #b feet apart1
 and say only #ab feet high1 we have    
#gdhh stems1 which  at #ab lb4 each  #dj
 tons per acre4    ,the stem of the     
,bambusa ,vulgaris before mentioned1    
grown in  the ,palm-house at ,kew1 was  
of an average size1 #aj to #aa inches   
circumference1 and weighed green #a-a_/b
 lb4 per foot run2 and although  no     
doubt by denser growth1 induced by      
frequent cropping1 the stems  even of   
the larger varieties of ,,bamboo would  
decrease in size1 still  an equal       

tonnage to the acre would be produced1  
with longer joints or  internodes1 and a
 finer staple of fibre4    ,the stems of
 the ,,bamboo 7taken as dry7 treated by 
my process1 will  yield #fj per cent4 of
 unbleached ,fibrous ,paper-,stock1     
baled up  in merchantable condition2    
assuming therefore an annual cropping of
 #dj  tons1 green stems1 which will lose
 #ge per cent4 moisture in drying1 we   
have #aj tons dry stems per acre2 these 
at #fj per cent4 yield1 will give  #f   
tons per acre of ,paper-,stock1 an      
enormous product as compared  with any  
other fibrous material with which ,i am 
acquainted4    ,allowing the plantation 
to be credited at the rate of #es4 per  
ton1  for the green stems1 delivered to 
the central factory1 and #dj tons to  be
 produced per acre1 we have the sum of  
#ajl4 per acre to cover all  charges2   
once1 however1 the plantation formed1   
but little cost in the  way of          
cultivation need be incurred4 ,the main 
outlay would be for rent1  irrigation1  

and cutting1 and carrying to the        
manufactory4    ,i may here remark that 
,i propose where possible1 to return to 
the  ,plantation1 mixed with the water  
employed for irrigation1 the            
mucilaginous and other extractive       
constituents1 or matters1 7amounting  to
 #dj per cent47 abstracted from the     
stems during the process of             
manufacturing the ,paper-,stock1 as     
,manure1 thus maintaining  fertilization
 to the growing plant4      ,,details   
,,of ,,my ,,system ,,of ,,treating      
,,bamboo ,,for ,,the ,,manufacture ,,of 
,,fibrous ,paper-,stock4    ,an         
essential point in my system for        
treating ,,bamboo to produce  therefrom 
fibrous ,paper-,stock1 consists in      
operating upon the stems  of the plant  
when young1 and preferably when fresh1  
as1 and when1 cut  and collected4       
,brought therefore to a central factory 
in this condition1 the stems  are passed
 through heavy crushing rolls1 in order 
to split and flatten  them1 and at the  

same time crush1 or smash1 the knots1 or
 nodes4 ,the  stems thus flattened1 are 
then passed through a second series of  
rolls1 which are channelled1 or grooved1
 in order further to split1 or          
partially divide them longitudinally    
into strips1 or ribbons2 these  being   
cut transversely1 into convenient       
lengths by a guillotine knife  or       
shears1 are delivered by a carrier1 or  
automatic feeder1 direct to  the boiling
 pans1 or elsewhere1 as desired4    ,as 
the stems when fresh and green1 contain 
from #fj to #ge per cent4  of sappy and 
mucilaginous matter1 much of this is    
expressed by the  crushing1 while at the
 same time the fibrous mass1 being      
partially  disintegrated1 is thus more  
readily acted upon in the succeeding    
processes4    ,if desired1 the crushed  
stems may be dried and stored2 such     
drying1  however1 must be very carefully
 conducted and watched to avoid         
destructive fermentation4    ,i have in 
the preceding ,remarks referred to      

,,flax1 ,,hemp1  ,,jute1 and similar    
,,fibres known to commerce1 such fibres 
being  imported into this country in    
their prepared condition1 suitable for  
,textile purposes4 ,they have1 in fact1 
passed through a process of             
semi-manufacture1 such process1 as ,i   
have explained1 being required  to      
separate the ultimate fibres from the   
interior woody stem to which  when      
growing they are attached2 and it is    
obvious that it would not be            
7economically7 possible to import any of
 these fibrous plants as grown  or      
produced1 owing to their enormous bulk  
in that condition4    ,now although the 
stems of the ,,bamboo1 after cutting and
 crushing1  may1 as ,i have shown1 be   
dried 7and will when dried give a yield 
of  #fj per cent4 of fibre71 still their
 bulk and extreme lightness would       
preclude importing them to this country 
in their raw condition1 not  merely from
 their heavy cost for carriage1 but from
 their liability  to damage from        

fermentation4 ,for these economical     
considerations1  therefore1 ,i propose  
to reduce the ,,bamboo into             
,fibrous-,stock  where grown or         
produced4    ,it may be well1 before    
entering into details of the process1   
briefly  to explain the ordinary system 
employed for preparing fibres1 or       
fibrous materials1 as also rags1 for    
,paper-making4 ,this consists in        
sorting1 cutting1 cleaning1 and1 if need
 be1 roughly opening them1  followed by 
boiling in alkaline leys1 after which   
they are well washed  until cleansed    
from impurities in what is technically  
termed the rag  or breaker engine1      
during which operation they are         
disintegrated or  reduced into          
,half-stuff1 or semi-pulp1 this being   
subsequently  bleached and converted    
into pulp and paper4    ,as the object  
of my process is to produce a fibrous or
 tow-like  ,stock1 retaining as far as  
possible the normal or natural condition
  of the fibre1 and not ,half-stuff or  

,pulp1 my system of  treatment differs  
materially from the foregoing1 more     
especially in the  boiling and washing  
processes4    ,both of these processes  
,i conduct in a battery1 or series of   
vessels  7#af1 #bj1 or more in number71 
such vessels being connected together   
by pipes1 or channels1 furnished with   
valves1 or cocks1 so that  communication
 between the individual vessels may be  
maintained1  disconnected1 and regulated
 as desired1 in such manner that the    
vessels1 being methodically charged in  
succession with the material to  be     
operated upon1 the heated leys 7composed
 of caustic alkali7 can be              
progressively conducted from vessel to  
vessel of the series1 passing  over and 
through the material placed therein4    
,the leys are thus used again and again1
 7each successive change1  or charge of 
ley1 carrying forward the extractive    
matters it has  dissolved from the fibre
 with which it has been in contact7     
until  exhausted or neutralized1 7when  

they are discharged71 fresh leys  being 
methodically1 and successively1         
supplied1 until by degrees1 the         
extractive matters combined with the    
fibre or fibrous material have  been    
rendered sufficiently soluble1 when hot 
water for washing1 or  rinsing1 is in   
the same continuous manner run          
successively from vessel  to vessel1    
over1 and through1 the material         
contained therein1 until  the extractive
 matters rendered soluble by the        
previous alkaline baths  have been      
carried forward and discharged1 leaving 
the residuary fibre  sufficiently       
cleansed4    ,by this system of boiling 
in continuity1 until all the effective  
alkali in the leys is exhausted or      
neutralized1 ,i realize an economy  of  
from #cj per cent4 to #dj per cent4 of  
soda over the ordinary process  of      
boiling1 and by the subsequent washing1 
or rinsing1 in the same  continuous     
manner1 without removing the material   
from the vessels1 the  normal structure 

of the fibre is in a great measure      
retained1 waste is  minimized1 and thus1
 while being thoroughly cleansed and    
freed from  extraneous matter1 the      
strength and staple of the fibre are    
preserved2  a considerable saving of    
fuel results from the heated liquors    
being  used again and again1 less steam 
being required1 as also less water1     
while at the same time economy of both  
labour and power is effected  over the  
ordinary system4    ,assuming the       
boiling and succeeding washing processes
 to be concluded1  and the material     
7,,bamboo7 in one of the vessels of the 
series in its  regular succession1 to be
 found sufficiently treated and         
cleansed1 a  final cooling water is run 
on and through the fibre1 which is then 
drained1 and the contents of the vessel 
7disconnected for the time  being from  
the series7 emptied into a waggon       
running on a railway1  by which it is   
conducted to a press or otherwise to    
abstract all the  remaining moisture    

possible4    ,the dry1 or semi-dry      
fibre1 is then submitted to the action  
of a  willow1 or devil1 by means of     
which it is opened or teazed out1 and   
converted readily into a tow-like       
condition1 when it is dried by a        
current of heated air1 induced by a     
fan-blast1 and finally baled up for     
storage or transport1 in a similar      
manner to ,,cotton or ,,jute4    ,in    
this condition of ,paper-,stock1 it may 
be kept an indefinite  length of time   
without injury1 and when received by the
  ,paper-manufacturer requires merely   
soaking down and bleaching1 to fit  it  
for making into paper1 either by itself1
 or used as a blend with  other         
materials1 as desired4    ,the minuter  
details of my process for treating raw  
fibres1 or fibrous  material1 for the   
manufacture therefrom of ,fibrous       
,paper-,stock1  are fully described in  
my several ,patents1 the only variation 
so far  as relates to ,bamboo being the 
preliminary preparation of the young    

stems1 the other portions of the process
 being substantially the same  as in    
daily operation at the ,ford ,works1    
,sunderland1 for the treatment  of      
,esparto1 and other raw fibres4    ,i   
have only now further to remark that the
 ,plant required to  manufacture        
,paper-,stock from ,bamboo on an        
economical and  practical working scale1
 would consist of a battery of boiling  
pans1  with the other necessary adjuncts
 and machinery1 steam engines  and steam
 boilers1 such ,plant being on a scale  
adequate to the  manufacture of #ajj    
tons ,bamboo weekly1 producing therefrom
 say #fj  tons merchantable             
,paper-,stock4    ,as the above scale of
 operations1 viz4 the ,manufacture of   
#ajj tons  7,,bamboo7 weekly into       
,paper-,stock1 may appear somewhat      
large1 it  is necessary ,i should       
explain that owing to the nature of the 
,process1  the desired effect being     
produced by the reiterated and          
continuous  action of repeated weak     

,alkaline ,baths or ,leys1 in a ,series 
of  ,vessels1 such an operation involves
 the treatment of a large quantity  of  
,raw ,material1 at one time1 and cannot 
either conveniently or  economically be 
conducted upon a much smaller scale4    
,the cost of the ,plant and ,machinery  
required for such a ,factory  would     
amount to about 9999991 packed ready for
 shipment in ,england1 to  which would  
have to be added the carriage and cost  
of erection1 with  the necessary        
buildings1 which1 however1 would be of a
 very simple and  inexpensive character4
    ,i do not feel myself competent to  
determine what quantity of ,land  would 
be required for a plantation to supply  
such a factory1 which  would absorb #ajj
 tons dry1 say #djj tons green1 ,bamboo 
stems weekly1  but assuming #dj tons    
produce to the acre1 with only once     
annual  cropping1 #ejj acres should be  
ample4 ,this calculation doubtless would
  be influenced by the varying          
conditions of climate and soil1 as also 

by  the variety of ,bamboo cultivated4  
,it may be expected that ,i should in   
these ,,remarks include some  reference 
to the ,variety of ,,bamboo which could 
be most  economically and profitably    
cultivated for the supply of such a     
,factory1 on the scale ,i propose4      
,in respect to this portion of my       
subject ,i experience some difficulty1  
inasmuch as the ,varieties of ,bamboo   
are so numerous1 and so widely          
distributed4    ,a ,monograph by        
,colonel 7now ,general7 ,munro1 ,c4,b41 
published in the  ',transactions of the 
,linnean ,society1' affords the most    
elaborate and  comprehensive description
 of the ,bamboo3 in this paper upwards  
of #agj  species are described4    ,the 
,bambusa ,vulgaris1 as its name indeed  
denotes1 appears to be the  most        
generally distributed1 as it is found in
 both ,hemispheres1 ,general  ,munro    
being in considerable doubt as to which 
it is a native of4    ,i quote from his 
,monograph3 ,i have seen it collected by

 ,wallich1 in  ,silhet1 by ,hooker1 in  
,chittagong 7both ,north-east ,india71  
from ,ceylon  wild1 in the ,mauritius   
cultivated abundantly1 in the ,west     
,indies  naturalized1 and cultivated in 
several parts of ,south ,america1 this  
is  the only thoroughly cosmopolitan    
species4    ,bambusa ,gigantea1 growing 
to the height of #abj feet and from  #be
 to #cj inches circumference2 ,b4       
,edulis1 or edible ,bamboo2 ,b4         
,arundinacea2 ,b4 ,balcooa2 ,b4         
,brandisii1 c41 all varying in  growth  
to from #fj to #gj1 to #abj feet high1  
abound throughout ,india1 and  all our  
,asiatic ,dependencies4 ,in the ,west   
,indies also1 where not now  indigenous1
 doubtless any variety selected could   
readily be introduced  and cultivated4  
,to conclude1 it would appear that with 
the ,raw ,material ,bamboo1  we have    
under our control an embarrassment of   
riches1 and ,i have only  further to add
 that ,i know of no other that can at   
all approach it in  economy of          

production1 and ,i believe very few if  
any in the quality of  the ,stock       
produced therefrom suitable for         
,paper-making purposes4                 
,,bamboo1    ,,considered ,,as ,a       
,,paper-,,making ,,material4      ,,the 
,,present ,,position ,,of ,,the ,,paper 
,,trade ,,in ,,relation ,,to ,,the      
,,supply ,,of  ,,raw ,,material4    ,the
 deficient supply of1 and the increasing
 price for1 the materials  for making   
paper and the prospect of a still       
greater consumption has  for some time  
excited the attention of manufacturers  
and the public4    ,the above ,,remarks 
prefacing a ,,memorandum drawn up by    
,dr4 ,forbes  ,royle1 reporting for     
,,the ,,commissioners ,,for ,,the       
,,affairs ,,of ,,india1  at the desire  
of ,,the ,,lords ,,of ,,her ,,majesty',s
 ,,treasury1 and of ,,the  ,,lords ,,of 
,,the ,,committee ,,of ,,the ,,privy    
,,council ,,for ,,trade1 in #ahed1 and  
subsequently published in his valuable  
work1 ,,the ,,fibrous ,,plants ,,of     

,,india1 in #ahee--twenty years         
ago--truly represent the position of the
  ,paper-,trade at the present time4    
,the extension of education and         
literature1 the necessity for cheap     
newspapers and serial publications1 the 
increased demand for paper for  writing1
 as also for manufacturing and          
commercial purposes generally1  have    
greatly stimulated consumption1 and it  
is believed that since the  abolition of
 the ,excise duty in #ahfa1 the annual  
production of paper  has more than      
doubled4    ,previous to #ahfa1 raw     
fibrous material1 with the exception    
perhaps of  ,straw1 was but little used 
in paper-making1 the waste of cotton1   
flax1  hemp1 and jute mills1 having     
undergone a process of semi-manufacture1
  being comprised under the generic term
 of--,rags4    ,the ,american war1      
immediately following the repeal of the 
paper duty1  threatening a cotton       
famine1 the ,paper-makers gladly availed
 themselves  of a new material1         

,esparto1 which ,i had for some time    
previously been  ineffectually          
endeavouring to introduce1 and adopting 
my process for  its treatment1 this     
material entered speedily into          
consumption1 and  has tended more than  
anything else to promote the development
 of the  ,paper-trade by enabling the   
manufacturers to keep pace with the     
rapidly  increasing demand4    ,the     
importations of ,,esparto1 which did not
 amount to #ajjj tons in  the year #ahfj
 7indeed up to that date ,i was the only
 manufacturer  using it,a71 rose to     
upwards of #ej1jjj tons in the year     
#ahfe1 and by  #ahga--ten years only    
from its introduction--the annual       
imports had  attained the large total of
 #adj1jjj tons4    ,,esparto being a    
wild grass 7or1 botanically speaking1 a 
sedge7  growing on waste lands1 in      
,spain and ,africa1 owing to the greed  
of  the native collectors--who1 while   
gathering the plant1 pluck it up        
recklessly1 roots and all--is being     

gradually but surely exterminated4      
,the complete exhaustion of the plant is
 proceeding very rapidly in  ,spain2 and
 as it is estimated by the best informed
 authorities that it  will take1 even   
with the greatest care and under the    
most favourable  conditions1 at least   
fifteen years to reproduce it from seed 
7a system  not very likely to be pursued
 in that country17 at no very remote    
period this valuable paper-making       
material appears doomed to extinction4  
,during the last few years a large and  
increasing supply of ,,esparto1  or as  
it is there called ,alfa1 has been      
received from ,africa2  and although the
 quality of ,african ,esparto is not    
valued by the  paper-trade as high as   
the ,spanish1 still it meets with a     
ready sale1  being used to mix with1 or 
in substitution of the latter4    ,as   
much as #fj1jjj tons were imported last 
year 7#ahgd7 from ,algeria1  and great  
inducements by concessions and          
otherwise1 are offered by the  ,french  

,government to induce railway           
communication with the interior         
districts of that country1 where the    
plant is said to abound on some of  the 
mountainous plateaux1 and thus for some 
little time the market may  be supplied1
 but the difficulty of procuring labour1
 and the cost of  railway carriage for  
such long distances1 will add           
considerably to the  present charges of 
transit to this country4    ,within the 
last two or three years1 the ,belgian   
and ,american  ,paper-makers have       
commenced using ,esparto1 and so        
latterly have the  ,french1 and as our  
main sources of supply will now be      
,algeria1 7a  ,french colony17 any      
material reduction in prices can hardly 
be looked  for4    ,,esparto1 like other
 commercial products1 is amenable to the
 law  of supply and demand2 and thus1 as
 the demand is1 and is likely to        
continue in excess of the supply1 its   
cost has enormously increased1  the     
price it now commands in the market     

being nearly double that1  at which ,i  
sold many thousand tons during the early
 years of its  introduction4    ,the    
,paper-manufacturers are thus again     
experiencing the same difficulty        
recognized by ,,the ,,lords ,,of ,,the  
,,treasury1 and by ,,the ,,board ,,of   
,,trade in  #ahed1 and which more       
recently was considered of sufficient   
importance  to induce the appointment of
 a ,,select ,,committee ordered by ,,the
 ,,house ,,of  ,,commons in #ahfa3      
,to inquire into the ,,duties ,,or      
,,prohibitions in ,,foreign ,,countries 
on the  ,,export ,,of ,,rags used in the
 ,,manufacture ,,of ,,paper in the      
,,united ,,kingdom1  and their effect   
upon that ,,manufacture4    ,the        
,,committee ,,reported3 ,that the       
production of paper in this country  is 
in excess of the supply of the material 
of which it is made1 and  the paper     
manufacture is in consequence dependent 
for a large portion  of its supplies on 
foreign ,rags1 amounting to about       

#ae1jjj tons per  annum1 which is by    
estimation a fifth of the whole quantity
 of ,rags  used for the manufacture of  
white paper in this country1 on nearly  
the  whole of which heavy export duties 
are paid4    ,another paragraph of the  
,,committee',s ,,report states3 ,that   
the  ,committee have directed their     
especial attention to inquiring as to   
the  possibility of applying any ,new   
,fibre as a substitute for the refuse   
material now in use for ,paper-making   
purposes1 and find that great  efforts  
have been made to discover some material
 of this nature1 but as  yet with little
 success2 and although they see no      
reason to doubt that  ,straw and other  
fibrous substances may form a           
supplementary part of the  material for 
paper-making1 the great comparative     
expense of chemically  reducing these   
,raw ,fibres presents difficulties to   
their becoming a  substitute for the    
refuse material now used4    ,since the 
above ,,report was published1 the       

position of the ,trade has  materially  
altered4 ,the export duties in some     
countries have been  abolished1 in      
others reduced2 ,rag material has       
increased in quantity  and diminished in
 price2 the difficulties of chemically  
reducing ,raw  ,fibres no longer exist2 
and the #ae1jjj tons of ,rags estimated 
by the ,,committee as the requirements  
of the ,trade have been more  than      
substituted by the #aej1jjj tons of     
,,esparto and other ,raw  material1 now 
annually imported1 while the development
 of the chemical  trade keeping pace    
with the introduction of ,,raw ,,fibres 
has materially  facilitated their       
employment4    ,caustic soda1 but little
 known in #ahfa1 is now extensively     
manufactured1 and ,weldon's new process 
has greatly increased the power  of     
production and diminished the cost of   
manufacturing bleaching  powder2 thus   
the comparative expense of chemically   
reducing ,raw  ,fibres is no longer an  
obstacle to progress4    ,the           

manufacturer of the present day will1 in
 fact1 undertake to make  paper from any
 raw fibre1 or fibrous substance that   
may be submitted to  him4    ,he has1   
however1 several questions to consider  
before he will commit  himself to       
purchase or contract for any new fibrous
 material1 these  being3 its cost1 not  
merely as a raw material1 but in the    
details  of manufacture1 and the quality
 of the paper that can economically  be 
made from such fibre1 either alone1 or  
introducing it as a blend  with the     
material he at present employs2 then1   
assuming these points  satisfactorily   
determined1 he would desire to know the 
quantity of such  material annually     
available1 with some guarantee for      
continuous and  reliable supply at a    
price not liable to erratic             
fluctuations4    ,the value of ,,esparto
 as a ,paper-making material having been
  recognized1 and its employment almost 
universally adopted in the ,trade1      
naturally led to various attempts to    

introduce other new material1  which    
hitherto1 however1 have met with only   
partial success3 the  ,,dwarf ,,palm1   
,chamoerops humilis1 and ,,diss1 as well
 as some  other materials from ,north   
,africa1 have been tried and abandoned  
as  unsuitable3 ,,jute also has latterly
 attracted considerable attention2      
,butts or ,cuttings1 as they are termed1
 the refuse from the  preparation of the
 long clean fibre now so largely used as
 a ,textile1  have entered extensively  
into consumption1 being imported from   
,india  specially for paper-makers' use1
 packed in hydraulic-pressed bales2  but
 this fibre is difficult and costly to  
bleach perfectly1 and is  only employed 
for the lower class of ,news and ,common
 printing1 or  unbleached1 for ,brown   
and ,wrapping papers2 but as it has long
 been  familiar to the trade in the form
 of ,waste1 ,gunny-bagging1 and ,rope1  
it  can hardly be termed a ,new         
,material4    ,two or three other       
excellent fibrous materials may be      

mentioned1 small  parcels of which are  
occasionally to be met with1 that are1  
or more  correctly speaking would be1   
much prized by ,paper-manufacturers if  
obtainable at reasonable rates1 such as 
,,adansonia ,,bark1 ,,new ,,zealand     
,,flax1 ,,manilla ,,hemp1 ,,sunn1 and   
other ,,indian1 ,,hemp-,,like ,,fibres1 
all of which will bleach well and make  
paper of superior quality2 but          
unfortunately the quantity available is 
so small1 and the supply so  irregular  
and uncertain1 that they can hardly be  
relied upon as ,raw  ,material4         
,,wood1 both chemically and mechanically
 prepared1 has been1 and indeed  is now1
 used to a very considerable extent2 but
 the latter1 produced  by grinding down 
billets from the tree as cut down1 on a 
grindstone  to a pulp1 with water1 or   
without water1 to the condition of      
flour1  contains but little fibre1 and  
that fibre with very little felting     
property 7an essential for a good sheet 
of paper72 thus it can only be  used as 

a filler-up for cheap ,news and common  
papers1 like clay  7facetiously called  
in the trade ,devonshire linen71 or any 
other adulterant  which the necessities 
of the ,paper-maker1 to meet the market1
 7or in other  words deficient supply of
 good and cheap suitable material7      
compel  him to use4    ,,wood1          
chemically prepared1 is costly in       
production1 as it is only  possible to  
reduce it into ,pulp1 by boiling under  
very high pressure1  with strong caustic
 alkali2 several mills established both 
in ,england  and ,scotland1 to carry out
 this manufacture1 have abandoned it1   
and  such ,pulp as is now used in the   
,trade is derived exclusively from the  
countries where the wood is grown4 ,the 
,pulp thus produced1 although  somewhat 
hard and harsh1 if the wood is carefully
 selected1 and  properly prepared1 will1
 blended with other material1 produce a 
fair  quality of paper4    ,the use of  
,,straw1 from the ,cereals1 ,,wheat1    
,,oats1 and ,,rye1 has  of late years   

greatly extended1 both in this country  
and throughout  the continent of        
,europe1 as well as in the ,united      
,states of ,america1  either alone or as
 an admixture with rags and other       
material1 for  all classes of paper1 as 
these countries equally with ,england   
suffer  from a deficient supply of ,raw 
,material2 but in ,england1 owing to    
the increased consumption for           
agricultural and feeding purposes1 and  
influenced also by the scarcity and high
 prices lately ruling for  ,,esparto in 
many districts1 ,,straw has become very 
difficult to  obtain1 and considerable  
quantities have in consequence been     
imported  from ,holland and ,belgium1   
both raw1 and as bleached ,pulp4    ,i  
may here mention two other fibrous      
substances1 which have from time  to    
time attracted considerable attention1  
viz4 ,,maize ,,leaves and ,,rice        
,,straw1 both of them raw materials1    
from which a fair quality of  paper is  
produced in the countries where these   

plants are cultivated2  but1 as in their
 natural condition after being harvested
 they are far  too bulky to permit of   
transport to this country1 they would   
have to be  reduced to a portable form  
where they grow1 and even then1 owing to
 the  small yield of true fibre1 their  
economical conversion is somewhat       
doubtful1 unless under favourable       
conditions4    ,the daily increasing    
demand for ,,paper being recognized1 and
 the  impending if not immediate        
scarcity of ,raw ,material available for
 its  manufacture1 up to the present    
time1 having been shown1 to what quarter
  must the ,trade look for an extended  
supply8    ,this it must be admitted has
 become an important question for       
consideration1 it being evident that    
unless some ,new ,material  suitable for
 the purpose is speedily introduced1 the
 ,,paper ,,trade1  one of the most      
important in the ,,united ,,kingdom1    
will be seriously  crippled2 meanwhile  
of necessity high prices are maintained1

 and as a  natural consequence the      
consumer suffers4                       
,,fibre-,,producing ,,plants--,,sources 
,,of ,,supply4    ,the high value of    
land precludes the cultivation of any   
fibrous  material exclusively for       
paper-making in ,england1 even if this  
climate  was suitable for its growth2   
with the exception indeed of ,,flax and 
,,hemp1 it would appear that northern   
latitudes are not favourable for  the   
production of fibre-producing plants1   
and therefore it is to warm  or tropical
 countries alone any reliable supply of 
,,new ,,material can  be looked for4    
,in the ,east1 and ,west ,indies1 in her
 ,colonies and ,dependencies1  ,england 
possesses an inexhaustible supply of    
fibre-producing plants2 in  ,india      
especially1 almost every plant abounds  
more or less in fibre4    ,in ,china and
 ,japan1 as also in ,india1 from the    
earliest times1 paper  has been made    
exclusively from raw indigenous virgin  
fibres1 and the  paper produced in these

 countries is in consequence generally  
extremely  strong and tough1 and        
although unbleached1 and not made in a  
fashion  adapted to ,european           
requirements1 affords ample and         
conclusive evidence  of the valuable    
supply of material at our disposal4     
,,vegetable ,,fibrous1 or               
,,fibre-,,producing ,,plants1 are       
divided by ,,botanists  into two        
distinct ,,classes or ,,divisions3      
,,endogens1 or inside growers2          
,,exogens1 or outside growers4    ,from 
the former are obtained the fibres known
 as ,,manilla ,,hemp or  ,,abaca 7from  
the ,musa textilis or ,plantain71 the   
,,aloe1 ,,agav  7or ,pita ,fibre71 the  
,,yucca1 ,,bromelia ,,penguin1 ,,sisal  
,,hemp  7or ,hannequin72 ,,pina ,,fibre 
from the ,,pine ,,apple 7,ananassa      
sativa71 ,,marool or ,,moorva           
7,sanseveira ,zeylanica71 ,,new         
,,zealand  ,,flax 7,phormium tenax71 c42
 ,,maize 7or ,indian ,corn71 ,,rice1    
and other ,,cereal ,,straws1 ,,esparto1 

,,diss1 and various ,sedges1  ,reeds1   
and ,grasses1 the latter including      
,,bamboo1 and ,,sugar  ,,cane1 are also 
comprised in this ,class4    ,the       
,,fibres1 or ,,fibrous ,,tissue         
enveloping the ,stems of ,herbaceous    
,plants1 known as ,,hemp1 ,,flax1       
,,jute1 ,,hibiscus1 7,gombo or  ,okhro71
 ,,rhea1 or ,,china-,,grass 7,urtica    
nivea71 ,,sunn ,,hemp  7,cratolaria     
juncea71 c41 as also the ,,lace ,,barks 
7so called71 such  as the ,,adansonia   
,,digitatas 7from the ,baobab tree71 the
 ,,nepal  ,,paper ,,plant 7,daphne      
cannabina71 the ,,paper ,,mulberry      
7,broussonetia  papyrifera71 c41        
constitute the latter ,class4    ,i have
 confined myself to recapitulating a few
 only of the fibres  in either class1   
best known to commerce2 this list1      
indeed1 might be  extended almost       
indefinitely1 as may be seen by         
reference to the work  before alluded   
to1 ',the ,fibrous ,plants of ,india1'  
by ,dr4 ,forbes ,royle1  as also to the 

elaborate ,paper on the same subject1   
read at the meeting  of the ,society of 
,arts1 ,may #i1 #ahfj1 by ,dr4 ,j4      
,forbes ,watson1 ,reporter  on the      
,products of ,india1 ,dr4 ,royle's able 
successor4    ,with some few exceptions 
7notably ,esparto and some of the       
,cereal  straws and grasses71 the       
resulting or ultimate fibres from       
vegetable  fibrous plants1 before they  
can be utilized either for ,textile     
purposes1 or for the manufacture of     
,paper1 must be freed from the          
extraneous substances with which during 
their growth they are more or  less     
combined4    ,in the case of ,endogens1 
the fibres are imbedded or enveloped in 
succulent1 fleshy1 or pulpy stems1 or   
leaves2 and in the case of  ,exogens1   
the fibre is combined with1 and         
attaching to1 wood1 or woody  matter1   
such extraneous substances or matters   
constituting1 more or  less1 a          
considerable portion both of the weight 
and bulk of the plant  even when        

matured4      ,,treatment ,,of          
,,fibre-,,producing ,,plants4    ,from  
all1 or nearly all1 ,endogenous plants  
the fibres are extracted  by hand       
labour1 no machinery having been        
hitherto invented by which  this        
operation can be performed in an        
economical and satisfactory  manner4    
,the fleshy stems1 or leaves1 of this   
class of plants are crushed and  beaten1
 macerated in water1 scraped and roughly
 combed1 to separate the  fibrous from  
the vascular1 or pulpy portion of the   
plant2 sometimes  the plants are buried 
in wet sand1 or mud1 leaving them to    
soak1 or  rot1 for many days1 then      
beaten on a stone1 scraped1 and combed2 
but by  this system the fibres generally
 lose colour and strength4 ,the yield of
  fibre from this class of ,endogens    
ranges from #f to #ab per cent41 and  it
 is only where native labour is         
exceedingly cheap and abundant that     
such a laborious and tedious process    
could be carried on4    ,the majority of

 the fibres from ,exogenous plants are  
also1 in  somewhat a similar manner     
obtained solely by manual labour2 the   
herbaceous1 or woody stems of such      
plants1 being first steeped1 or  retted1
 to induce partial fermentation1 and    
facilitate the separation  of the       
corticular fibres1 from the woody stem4 
,when produced in ,europe1 ,flax and    
,hemp form an exception1 being          
generally dried before steeping1 which  
process is also more  systematically and
 regularly conducted1 and the subsequent
 separation  of the ultimate fibres     
effected by breaking1 scutching1 and    
heckling2  these operations being as far
 as possible carried out mechanically4  
,when the cost of cultivation1 of       
carriage1 freight to this country1      
charges and merchants' profit1 are added
 to the outlay involved  in producing   
clean fibres by the laborious and       
tedious processes  described1 even with 
the exceedingly cheap labour of tropical
  countries1 it will readily be         

understood that they cannot be sold at a
  cheap rate4    ,when the above outlay 
has been incurred1 and clean            
merchantable fibre  results1 such fibre 
will generally secure a high price in   
the market  for ,spinning1 ,roping1 and 
other ,textile purposes1 far beyond the 
,paper-maker's limits1 who therefore can
 only avail himself of damaged  parcels1
 or such as1 being of low or inferior   
quality1 have been  rejected by the     
,spinner1 and1 even then1 has to come   
into competition  with the maker of     
low-class goods1 the common sacking and 
mat-maker1  as any fibre of fair        
strength1 long enough to spin into a    
coarse yarn1  commands good value in the
 market4    ,it will be obvious from the
 preceding remarks that the             
,paper-manufacturer1 for an extended    
supply of ,material1 must look  to a    
fibre or fibrous substance which1 either
 like ,esparto1 can  be utilized direct1
 without having to pass through this    
process of  semi-manufacture1 or to some

 other ,new ,material1 which1 from the  
peculiarity either of its production or 
growth1 and to the simplicity  and      
economy of its treatment1 can be        
imported into this country1 in a        
condition suitable for his requirements4
    ,knowing from personal observation  
the peculiarities of the growth1        
production1 and collection of the       
,,esparto plant1 and believing  the time
 would come when the supply would be    
unequal to the demand  7although ,i must
 admit1 owing to the rapid extension of 
the  ,paper-trade1 that time has arrived
 sooner than ,i anticipated71 ,i  have  
long and continuously kept my attention 
directed to any ,new  ,material which   
appeared likely to become available for 
,paper-making  purposes4    ,for many   
years past1 ,i have devoted much time to
 the investigation of  ,fibres1 during  
which period ,i have1 ,i believe1 tested
 both chemically  and practically as a  
,paper-maker1 nearly every fibrous      
material  introduced into the market1   

with1 as may naturally be supposed1     
extremely variable results4    ,before  
any ,new ,material will be favourably   
received by the  ,paper-manufacturer1 it
 is clear that certain conditions must  
be  fulfilled2 these being that such    
,material shall favourably compare1  so 
far as regards quality and cost1 with   
those he now employs1  and that he shall
 feel satisfied he may rely upon a      
continuity of  supply1 not subject to   
violent fluctuations in price4    ,once 
assured on these points1 there can be no
 doubt that1 especially  under existing 
circumstances 7viz4 deficient supply and
 high prices71  the ,paper-trade would  
gladly welcome the advent of any ,new   
,material  calculated to relieve the    
present1 or apprehended scarcity4       
,,new ,,materials4    ,fortunately for  
the ,paper-trade1 and its supply of     
materials in the  future1 two raw       
fibrous substances exist1 to which ,i   
now desire  to direct special attention1
 as ,i believe it would be difficult1 if

  not impossible1 to meet with any      
others to compare with them in the      
essential points1 of reliable supply at 
extremely low cost combined  with       
quality4    ,with this conviction ,i    
have devoted much attention to          
perfecting a  simple and economical     
system of treating them1 in order to    
produce a  fibrous ,paper-,stock1       
considering that to be the most         
practicable  and best form in which they
 can be introduced into the ,market4    
,one of these materials1 ,,megasse1 or  
,,begasse1 fulfils the main  conditions 
which would be looked for by the        
,paper-manufacturer1  inasmuch as vast  
quantities are available at a low cost1 
and owing to  the peculiarity of its    
production being the necessary          
by-product of  a large and widely spread
 staple industry--,sugar--not subject to
 the  ordinary irregularity of supply4  
,,megasse1 the fibrous residue of the   
,sugar-,cane 7after it has been  crushed
 to extract the juice71 properly        

prepared1 affords a strong1  nervous    
fibre1 or ,fibrous ,stock1 which        
bleaches well1 and possesses  all the   
characteristics of a first-class        
,paper-making material4    ,,megasse    
however1 as it comes from the crushing  
rolls1 and even when  dried after       
crushing1 is so exceedingly bulky1 that 
7being produced  almost exclusively in  
tropical countries7 the cost of carriage
 added  to its great liability to damage
 from fermentation1 precludes the       
possibility of its being imported to    
,england in its crude state2  moreover1 
the true fibrous portion of ,megasse    
does not amount to  more than #dj per   
cent41 the remainder being constituted  
of ,,cellulose1  combined with glutenous
 and other compounds1 which of          
themselves are  useless for             
,paper-making1 and which consequently   
must be separated from  the residuary or
 ultimate fibre4    ,it follows1        
therefore1 that ,,megasse must be       
converted into a ,fibrous  ,stock at1 or

 near1 the ,sugar factory where it is   
produced1 then dried1  and put up in    
hydraulic-pressed bales for economical  
transport4    ,the present value of     
,,megasse 7in its crude condition as    
produced7  is relatively to that of     
fuel1 as1 unless it is returned to the  
soil  as manure 7which is the practice  
in some countries71 it is employed  in  
the ,sugar factories1 for raising steam1
 for motive power1 and for  evaporating 
the ,cane juice4    ,as the value of    
,megasse thus considered is very low1   
factories  established in connection    
with existing sugar mills for the       
manufacture  of ,paper-,stock1 where    
sufficient quantities of so bulky a     
material  could be concentrated1 and    
where other favourable conditions exist 
7of  which an abundant supply of water  
is an essential71 would yield a large   
profit to the planter or sugar          
manufacturer1 as the ,paper-,stock  he  
would produce would meet with a ready   
sale at prices at least  equivalent to  

,,esparto1 reduced to the same          
condition4    ,having made              
,paper-,stock1 and ,paper of good       
quality from  ,,megasse1 and determined 
the profitable result of such a         
manufacture  beyond dispute1 ,i look    
forward at no very distant date to see  
the  ,paper-trade of this country       
receiving1 at least1 a portion of its   
raw material from some of our own       
,colonies and ,dependencies 7in  most of
 which ,sugar is produced71 instead of1 
as now1 being entirely  dependent on    
,foreign ,countries for supply4    ,it  
is estimated that the consumption of    
sugar in ,england amounts  annually to  
upwards of #hjj1jjj tons1 or about #eg  
lb4 per head of the  population2 and as 
it may be assumed that for each ton of  
sugar #a ton  of ,megasse at least is   
produced1 it will be seen that a large  
reserve  of ,fibrous ,material is       
available1 awaiting the enterprise of   
either  the ,sugar or the               
,paper-manufacturer or a combination of 

both4    ,it is now my object to show to
 the ,two parties mainly interested1 the
  ,,producer and the ,,consumer1 how    
closely their interests are coincident1 
and how both would be benefited by the  
creation and development of a  new      
,,industry4    ,the ,,producer1 the     
,sugar-manufacturer1 is1 in point of    
fact  suffering from a similar          
competition to that experienced by the  
,paper-manufacturer in                  
#ahfa--;handicapped by the drawback     
allowed on  the export of ,,french1     
,,and ,,belgian1 ,,beet-,,root ,,sugar1 
with which he is  unable to compete1 in 
the same manner as the ,paper-maker     
suffered from  the introduction of      
,,french1 ,,and ,,belgian1              
,,paper--free1 while the ,,raw          
,,material--,,rags1 paid a heavy export 
duty4    ,the ,,consumer1 the           
,paper-manufacturer1 is suffering from a
 lack of  suitable material1 which the  
,producer is able to supply1 and by so  
supplying and utilizing a by-product1   

hitherto of little value to him1  places
 himself in a position to meet his      
competitors on equal1 if not  better    
terms in the market4    ,it is true1    
that this 7to him7 new system of        
utilizing what may now be  termed a     
waste1 or by-product1 would involve the 
outlay of additional  capital1 by the   
,sugar-planter or manufacturer1 which he
 may deem  foreign to his present       
business1 but manufacturers now-a-days  
make  their profits mainly by utilizing 
by-products4    ,a familiar instance of 
this may be cited in the ,chemical      
trade2 the  muriatic acid produced in   
the manufacture of soda1 formerly run to
  waste1 being now employed for making  
bleaching powder2 and1 still more       
recently1 the by-products annaline1     
anthracene1 ammonia1 c41 which  formerly
 created a nuisance wherever ,gas-,works
 existed1 now constitute  a large       
portion of their profits4    ,,bamboo1  
the other ,raw ,material to which ,i    
have alluded1 can hardly  be called     

,new1 it being well known that both the 
,chinese and  ,japanese have from time  
immemorial employed ,bamboo for         
,paper-making  purposes2 and ,i have    
shown in the preceding ,remarks that    
attempts  have more recently been made1 
not hitherto affording successful       
commercial results4    ,it therefore    
would have been more correct had ,i1 in 
directing  attention to ,,bamboo1       
described it as an ,old material under  
,new treatment4 ,such indeed was the    
case with ,,esparto1 an ,old  material1 
well known1 and tried ineffectually by  
many1 previous to  my process for       
converting it into paper being adopted1 
which1 however1  did not take place     
until it had been fully tested and      
approved1 leading  then to its speedy   
employment4    ,i believe with my new   
system of treatment ,,bamboo will prove 
to be as  superior to ,esparto1 in every
 respect as ,esparto was found to be    
superior to ,straw1 the only other raw  
material used when it was  introduced4  

,,bamboo differs from ,,megasse1        
inasmuch as the latter is produced1 as  
it were1 involuntarily1 its maximum     
value as a raw product being  determined
 by its comparison with fuel2 whereas   
,,bamboo would have to  be cultivated2  
but1 as this plant will not only grow1  
but flourish1 in  localities unsuitable 
for other cultivation1 and is produced  
with such  extraordinary rapidity and   
abundance1 it would appear that1 as a   
,raw  ,product1 it would not cost much1 
if any1 more than ,,megasse4    ,it is  
hardly my province to discuss here to   
which of the two materials1  ,,megasse  
or ,,bamboo1 the preference should be   
given4 ,suffice it to  say that1 with   
the admitted fact of the increasing     
scarcity of ,raw  ,material for         
,paper-making1 there is ample scope for 
both4 ,i have only  to add that ,i shall
 be happy to advise with parties who may
 desire to  interest themselves in      
either question4      ,,conclusion4     
,as ,i have broadly stated that         

,paper-,stock can be produced from both 
,,bamboo and ,,megasse1 to show a good  
,profit1 it may be well to  mention the 
present cost of ,,esparto reduced to the
 same condition 7of  ,paper-,stock71 as 
it is with this ,material these ,fibres 
would  mainly have to compete1 seeing   
that with its large consumption and     
widely extended use for most classes of 
,paper it now rules the ,market4    ,the
 cost of good ,spanish ,,esparto at     
current rates1 is1 delivered  into a    
,mill 7say71 #ajl4 per ton2 it is       
generally assumed in the  ,paper-trade  
that about #b tons of ,esparto are      
required to make #a ton  paper1 the     
yield being from #dh to #ej per cent4   
,at #ej per cent4 yield therefore we    
have #bjl4 per ton for ,raw  ,material4 
,add to this1 for chemicals1 boiling1   
fuel1 and labour1  #ejs4  #b tons1 we   
arrive at #bel4 for the cost of ,esparto
 in the  same condition of unbleached   
,stock1 sufficient for #a ton paper4    
,,alfa or ,african ,esparto does not    

afford so good a yield1 neither  will it
 bleach to so high a colour1 nor make so
 good a quality of paper  as ,spanish2  
its value therefore is proportionately  
lower in the  ,market1 say #hl4 per ton 
as compared with #ajl43 the cost        
therefore  of ,alfa reduced to a similar
 condition of ,stock may be taken at    
#bal4    ,,alfa 7if carefully selected7 
so closely resembles ,spanish           
,,esparto1 in its raw condition1 that it
 is very difficult to  distinguish one  
from the other1 and when the two are    
skilfully blended1  it is impossible to 
do so1 until the bleaching process of   
manufacture  is reached2 thus1 it has   
happened1 that during the past two or   
three  years many thousands of tons of  
,,alfa1 having taken a tour through     
,spain1 and being there naturalized1    
have found their way to ,england  and   
been sold to the unsophisticated        
,english ,paper-maker as ,spanish       
,,esparto1 thus supplementing the rapid 
exhaustion of the indigenous  grass of  

that country4    ,,wood ,pulp as ,i have
 mentioned1 is imported1 both           
mechanically  and chemically prepared1  
the latter 7unbleached7 finding a ready 
sale1  at #bdl4 to #bel4 per ton2       
,,straw ,pulp also 7bleached7 realizes  
#bfl4 to #bgl4 per ton1 but neither of  
these materials are likely to  be       
introduced to any considerable extent4  
,paper-,stock1 resulting from either    
,,bamboo or ,,megasse1 will show  a very
 large margin of profit from the figures
 ,i have quoted1 thus  allowing for any 
necessary reduction should prices fall  
from increased  supplies4    ,in        
concluding my ,remarks1 having in the   
preceding ,pages suggested  the         
conversion of ,raw ,fibrous ,substances1
 notably1 ,,bamboo and  ,,megasse1 into 
,fibrous ,paper-,stock1 ,i ought perhaps
 distinctly  to explain the difference  
between ,half-,stuff1 or ,pulp1 and     
,paper-,stock1 and my reasons for       
expressing a preference for the  latter 
form of preparation1--a preference      

warranted1 ,i believe1 both by          
practical1 and economical               
considerations4    ,whatever ,material  
the ,paper-maker employs1 be it ,rags   
7of any  denomination7 or any other     
,fibre1 or ,fibrous1 substance1 after   
,boiling1 he disintegrates1 or          
comminutes it into ,half-,stuff1        
before1 or while bleaching4 ,this       
process1 carried a stage farther1       
converts the ,half-,stuff into ,pulp4   
,herein1 not less than in  the proper   
selection of his ,raw ,material1 lies   
the skill of the  ,paper-maker1 as1     
however good his ,material may be1 in   
its ,raw  or normal condition1 it may be
 very easily spoilt in either of the    
processes of ,boiling1--,bleaching1--or 
,pulping4    ,for example1 when ,bread  
is once toasted1 thereby becoming brown 
7and  the purer and whiter the greater  
the change71 whereby its chemical and   
mechanical character has become altered1
 no power can reconvert it into  its    
original condition2 in like manner1     

however good a ,raw ,fibrous  ,material 
may be1 if that ,material be either     
over-boiled1 or  over-pulped1 no power  
will restore its normal character4      
,moreover1 a ,fibrous substance once    
reduced to the condition of  ,pulp1 it  
is difficult1 if not impossible1 even   
for a ,microscopist1  to distinguish    
accurately the character or quality of  
the original  ,fibre1--its strength1--or
 whether it has been properly or        
improperly treated1 and reduced to that 
condition--until1 perhaps  too late1    
when he has bleached it1 and converted  
it1 or attempted to  convert it1 into a 
sheet of ,paper4    ,with a ,fibrous    
,paper-,stock1 however1 these objections
 do not apply1  or certainly not to the 
same degree1 as the ,paper-maker could  
readily  examine and judge of the       
character and strength of the ,fibre    
whether it was clean and free from      
imperfections or adulterations--in      
fact1 could see what he was buying1 or  
proposing to buy1 which he could  not do

 with ,half-,stuff or ,pulp4    ,so far 
as the ,producer is concerned1 his      
outlay for the primary ,plant  and the  
mechanical appliances1 the cost of the  
subsequent treatment1  the drying1      
packing1 and economical carriage and    
freight from a ,foreign  country1 would 
in all respects be less for             
,paper-,stock than for  ,half-,stuff or 
,pulp4    ,speaking from the experience 
of some years1 during which ,i have     
conducted the manufacture and sale of   
many thousand tons of  ,half-,stuff     
prepared from ,,esparto and other ,raw  
,fibres1 ,i  feel satisfied that in     
introducing a ,new ,semi-prepared       
,material1  from a ,foreign country1 the
 preference would be given by the       
practical  ,paper-maker to a ,fibrous   
,paper-,stock4                          
,,thomas ,,routledge4      ,,claxheugh1 
,,sunderland1            #ahge4         
,,footnotes3      ,a ,the ,journal of   
the ,society of ,arts1 #bhth ,nov41     
#ahef1 was printed  on paper made from  

,esparto1 at ,eynsham ,mills1 near      
,oxford1 then in my  occupation4        
,transcriber's ,notes3      ,passages in
 italics are indicated by underscore4   
,fractions are displayed as follows3    
#a_/b correlates with #a half1 #a-a_/b  
correlates with #a and a half4444    ,on
 page #ae some text is missing it is    
marked as 9999994    ,other than the    
corrections listed below1 printer's     
inconsistencies  in spelling1           
punctuation1 hyphenation1 and ligature  
usage have been  retained4    ,the      
following misprints have been corrected3
      changed with ,,hemp' and ,,flax1  
where       into with ,,hemp and ,,flax1
 where      7page #h7      changed the  
#ae1jjj tons of ,rags estimated by      
into the #ae1jjj tons of ,rags estimated
 by      7page #bb7