168 MANUFACTURES FROM NETTLE FIBRES. 



nettles being stronger than those of flax, and not so harsh 

 sm the fibres of hemp. 

 Refuse. ■ ' ^p the coviia^ of my experiments on nettles it often oc- 



curred ^q nne, that the ref^e, and such parts as were da- 

 maged In the different procejsee;, with the nnder-growth, 

 nji^ht be applied to useful purposes, and in addition to the 

 nettle manufactory, as applicable to the purposes for which 

 hemp and flax are used. Another source of productive 

 labour of great magnitude would-be d^r^iyed from a 

 new subst*n|:e, capable of being converted into ^ 

 many bentiicml uses, if my, speculatsons sh0uld.be finally 

 accomplished. In contemplating these subjects, I was in- 

 Paper made duced to believe the refuse aid mjdei-growth might be 

 irorn I . converted into paper of various sorts, according to the 



changes they might be ny^^det^p ii5ii(;i^rte,^j ffotn the se- 

 veral operations Lictressaiy to red^icf them to a proper state 

 for this use; h-.vhig freqnpniiY observed, with ^?gret, the 

 deterioration in the qusdity of writing apd printing paper, 

 OQcasioned by the use of cotton rags in the pappr mfinufap- 

 , tory ; which evinces itself even to the most superficial ob- 

 server, who may only casually open many of the modern 

 publications, and which must be admitted is of .the utmost 

 moment, as it endangers the preservation of wurl^ of litera- 

 ture. Bein^ convinced of the superior streni>th ,pf nettle 

 Advantagesof substance, I thought, could my speculations be reduced suc- 

 this. cessfully to practice, it would not only remedy this great 



evil, and operate as an antidote to the use of cotton rags in 

 that part of the paper manufactory, but eventually effect a 

 reduction in the prices of books, which for some years^hjive 

 been rapidly increasing, and are now become excessive, 40 

 the great obstruction of disseminating useful knowledge 

 among mankind, and contribute to the diminution of qur 

 / exports in that material branch of commerce. 



In addition to the abov£ incentives, the consideration 4>f 



Farther mo- the high price of paper, chiefly occasioned, as I conclude, 



tires. from the extravagant pricve of linen rags,and the impediments 



to tlae p/ocuring a foreign supply oi- ttiem, »ri«ingfrOfl? the 



circumstances of the times; and seeing that the nse ot linen 



cloth i« iu a great measure snperseded by th^ very gjeneijal 



introduction 





