1 20 Mr. Haworth's Description of new Succulent Plants. 



it with soap and hot water: if the colour be good, remove it 

 from the charcoal-Hquid ; if not, allow it to remain another 

 day or until it becomes white : 2 or 3 days are amply suffi- 

 cient if the process be well conducted. It is advantageous to 

 spread it out thinly upon the grass, wet as it is, and having 

 the charcoal in it, taking care to turn it frequently for a few 

 days : the charcoal greatly disappears, and the surface acquires 

 a pearly appearance. 



Tlie flax is now to be rinsed in a large quantity of water: 

 then to be washed thoroughly with soap in hot water, till it is 

 quite clean ; the soap must then be washed out by cold water, 

 and the flax dried; if on the grass, exposed to the sun and air, 

 the better. 



Before washing out the charcoal with soap, the lustre of 

 the fibre will be improved by steeping it for 8 or 10 hours in 

 water just soured with sulphuric acid; if this process be con- 

 tinued too long, the fibre will be weakened. The acid-steeping 

 is not essential, except the flax be intended for some particular 

 uses. 



The charcoal is easily washed out, and that perfectly, with 

 soap. The ultimate fibres are perfectly separated : they are 

 so much finer than silk, that I use them in the quadrant, 

 transit and micrometers: the lustre is precisely that of silk; 

 the strength of the fibre is not at ail impaired. It takes such 

 colours as I have tried — blue, pink and yellow — perfectly. 

 The finest thread may be spun. 



Having made public the process, and particularly on ac- 

 count of my reason for so doing, I hope that manufacturers 

 and others who can forward the introduction of the material, 

 will bestow some attention upon the subject. 



Any persons shall be provided with samples perfectly pre- 

 pared, by addressing me (post-paid) at Great Ouseburn, near 

 Borough bridge, Yorkshire. 



P.S. It ma}' probably be worthy the attention of the Irish ; 

 and particularly since the process may be performed by indi- 

 viduals at their own houses, and may give employment to- 

 many paupers in the work-houses. 



XXVIII. Description of New Succulent Plants. By 

 A. H. Haworth, Esq. F.L.S. S^c. 



OF the new Succulent Plants described in this paper, one 

 half were sent to the royal gardens of Kew, from South 

 Africa, by Mr. Bowie; and one of these latter plants has 

 proved to be a new species of Bowica, whose flowers, as Mr. B. 

 assures us, are always in umbels, in the places of their natural 



occurrence. 



