il 



MANUFACTURES FftOM NETTLG FIBI^K^. -f^Q 



introductioq of eloth naaililil'actured From cotton, which con- 

 sequently must materially diinii»ish the supply of linen r4^, 

 and probably, in process of time, from the inc'reasiutr sub- 

 stitution of cotton doUi for lin<^n, linen racrs, pHtticiiWy 

 of tlje finer qualities, may be totally annihilated., lir^d by 

 all these consicJerationa, ivhich \\'ere forcibly improsged Ofi 

 my raiud, and feeling assured of tl^e practicability of r<^doc- 

 in^ the substance of nettles to a stut/e necessary to the pro- 

 duction of p«ii|)«r, and confident in the superiw strena^tU of 

 such paper, if it could be manufactured froip a snbbtaocr; 

 so substuntialj I was most powerfully impelled to attempt to 

 reduce to {M^^ii<9|:ijce what in theory l lia4 so vvarwiy che- " 



rished. The attempt v»'as arduous, not only from Ufi en- 

 tire want oi jvuowledge of the manufactory, and of the ne- 

 c^ft^ary utciwiU, Jjut 1 was destitnte of any proper impit*- 

 mant to en^ge in the iindeftaking vvith anj'- probability «ff 

 success; hoping- however by perseverance to succeed, I pri|- 

 ceeded, M«J found on my first rough trial my fixppc^ations . ^b^f/ 



Thf^ «ii»ost fjivour^ble cpp^iti,on,pf the V*-^* witlj.fi vji^^f ^ PrepaTati9n ^ 

 the paper manufa|ct<|ry, is tp begjn vvit^- i* after 4L^« hacjsjeij ; p,*'^"'' ^ 

 in ordei- t|)at the fii^res i^ay be,(^(ycsited of th^ skins which 

 enclose tlMJip, as, whpn it i§i^^^tep|[|€fj, t^^.muke white p^ippr, 

 iiavjr^ gone tliion^bstiiat proc^Sj'it would Greatly facilitate' 

 the bleaching, and be t!,«: more easily disencumbered of the 

 gross particles. 



V\ h"" ^ -'r'.iify as my opinion, that the fibics c. lietiles jHJ 



ftli(*'jl sed the same as for yam, prey>ou« to their ^Wi 



being prepai-ett with a view to the making- of paper, I wish 

 not to be .nn,derst(.od to convey the,ideati]|pt, the operation 

 cnnnot be dispenied wi4^ Jc)ecause I (,on<;eive, tbit,fl^ the 

 aid of such machinery as ?8 in use with t^e paper manufac- 

 turers, or by some improvements therein, tliey ^nij^ht be 

 broaght to a pulp easily, even when t':,-.- . Ules ure,^4;iSt 

 gathered, should it^tptb a view to saviiio- of labour, be 

 deemed ne<;es5a4y; butrthe practicability of this 1 leave to 

 the experience w hicl^ time may hereafter afibrd. 



My operation of bleaching ^he hbres for paf)er %vas per- Bleaching, 

 formed on llie grass, which I jdeem preferable to th^ new 

 mode of bleaching with water irflpreguated witji air by 



Xj, means 



^ 



