FIBRES AND PAPER-MATERIALS, 167 



Bamboo, Hop-bines, Peat, Bracken and Sawdust. 

 Wood was then scarcely in use here, though employed 

 in Sweden and Belgium. 



For a detailed history of paper -materials, with 

 especial reference to wood-pulp, reference may be 

 made to ' Forestry and Forest-products ' (Edinburgh, 

 1884). It shows that our Patent Office teems with 

 specifications for making paper from all kinds of 

 material, few of which have succeeded. In 1852 

 Mr. Thomas Routledge introduced the Spanish fibre 

 Alfa, but its general adoption arose from the threatened 

 scarcity of rags during the cotton famine of the Ameri- 

 can War, which followed immediately upon the repeal 

 of the paper-duty. This fibre cannot apparently be 

 delivered here for less than 4 73. per ton, so that 

 since 1880, and especially since 1884, the year of the 

 Edinburgh Exhibition, it is being almost completely 

 superseded by wood. Almost any wood can be used ; 

 but Aspen and other Poplars, Alder, Spruce and Pine 

 seem the most suitable, either from quality or quantity 

 available. There may be a future demand for many 

 cheap fibres, or for more expensive ones, if they can 

 first be used for textiles, for ( bagasse ' or refuse cane, 

 or for sugar-cane refuse ; but wood seems likely to 

 take the lead as a paper-material for many years to 

 come. Meanwhile the applications of paper, long so 

 varied in Japan, are greatly extending with us. At 

 Cleobury-Mortimer, Shropshire, coach-panels and 

 tram-wheels and black 'patent leather' is made 

 from it, whilst at Willesden it is water-proofed by 

 means of cupro-ammonium for roofing-purposes.* 



* ' Paper Trade Review,' May 2yd> 1884. 



