304 THE WORLD'S LUMBER ROOM. 



manufacture of paper than any other substance yet dis- 

 covered^ and when mixed with cotton-seed makes nourishing 

 food for cattle, or good manure. 



In America, no doubt, the supply of cotton-stalks is 

 abundant, but in Europe it would be a great boon to the 

 manufacturers could they find some fibre which might be 

 used with or instead of flax, and attempts are being made 

 in Germany to utilise the nettle for this purpose. 



"Nettle cloth" is still the German name for muslin, 

 and nettle fibre was largely used in the olden days, before 

 the introduction of cotton, as witness the nettle linen sheets 

 and tablecloths used in Scotland early in the present 

 century, and mentioned by the poet Campbell. What has 

 been done once may be done again, and if manufacturers 

 could be found to buy the fibre or stalks, no doubt many 

 a waste piece of ground might be made to grow nettles with 

 advantage, for it is a crop which requires little care, and 

 is said never to fail. 



Cotton-waste, which used to be employed for paper- 

 making, is now made into wadding, lamp wicks, common 

 carpets, and twine, it is also used for cleaning machinery, 

 and is no longer burnt or thrown away, even after it has 

 served this purpose, as was formerly the case, for it has 

 been found possible to clean it, and both the cotton and 

 the dirty oil, with which it is saturated, may be used again. 



The lubricating oil used for machinery is also now 

 regularly collected and cleaned. While on the subject of 

 oil, we may mention that petroleum casks are collected by 

 costermongers at 4d. a-piece from the oil-shops, taken to 

 the water-side, and sold for re-shipment to America. 



