166 



4 



because the complete specimens from Brazil liad imdergone fer- 

 mentation. In the condition as sent from Brazil, however, we 

 belieye that they were packed in a green state, whereas those sent 

 from Calcntta were presumably carefully dried before packing- 

 We have recently cut down a green Hedychium stem and passed 

 it through crushing rollers, and we find that of the dry weight in 

 the complete green stem there is 23 per cent, of organic matter 

 contained in the juices and 77 per cent, of dry crushed material. 

 These juices are of an acid nature and have a powerful reducing 

 action upon Fehling solution, and it is to the presence of these 

 juices in the green stems as sent from Brazil that we attribute its 

 destruction in transit. The dried-down specimens from Calcutta 

 do not appear to have suffered from any putrefactive changes, due 

 — ^we presume — to the fact that they w^ere completely dried before 

 packing. 



" The Calcutta specimens were boiled with 10 per cent, (of 77 per 

 cent.) caustic soda for four hours at 2^ atmospheres, washed free of 

 liquor and lightly brushed for three hours in a hollander, then 

 made into paper without any added sizing material. 



The soda consumed on the raw material ... ^ 6-O^n 



/o 



JJ 5J 



on paper ... ... ... = 18"0% 



The yield of imbleached paper on raw material = 32*5% 

 This on a basis of 77 per cent, crushed fibre would yield 43 per 

 cent, of paper on the weight of the crushed fibre. Brazilian 

 crushed fibre yields under similar circumstances 50 per cent, 

 unbleached paper. The sheets of paper produced from the 

 Calcutta fibre were examined in different thicknesses and sub- 

 stances, and yielded the following figures for bursting strain : — 



Thickness Substance Bursting strain 



in mm. grms. per sq. m. lb. Demy. in lbs, per sq. in. 



•10 80 21 26 



•13 110 30 53 



•14 115 31 55 



•28 ^ 230 62 105 



These fijjures are satisfactory. The material boils down readily, 

 it is easily beaten to the condition of pulp, requiring compara- 

 tively little power; it drains well and felts well when made into 

 paper, and has a good wet strength after couching, and there 

 should be no difficulty in manipulating it upon the paper machine. 



**The ' Waterleaf ' is not ink-proof as that produced from the 

 Brazilian fibre is, but this is probably due to the fact that whole 

 specimens sent home dried down contain juices which probably 

 had some effect upon those natural constituents (pith cells) which 

 give to iho Hedychium fibre these peculiar self-sizing qualities. 



'' We think this statement is probably true, because Hedychium 

 green stems from Kcav, Paris, and elsewhere, have shown self -sizing 

 qualities if crushed to remove the juices and immediately used, or 

 if the crushed material had been dried down for shipment after 

 the removal of the juices. The ahove paper is of a good kraft 

 colour with a strong tear and a rattle and should be very service- 

 able for ordinary wrapping papers. It is elastic, has a good break- 

 ing strain and bursting strain and possesses good foldino- and 

 wearing qualities. AVe arc disposed to conclude that Hedychium 



