126 TEXTILE FIBRES. 



and used for stuffing horse-collars, pillows, chairs, and also for caulking 

 ships. 



Bamboo. A kind of paper has been made from the stems, after 

 undergoing a degumming operation. 



Seaweeds. The broad-fronded Laminaria saccliarina has been 

 especially used in the making of paper, papier-mache, and boards, under 

 the name of Algin. 



Blue Moor Grass (Molinia cxridea). A paper is made from it 

 after it has been converted into pulp. This grass is common in marshy 

 woods, where it forms very large hassocks. 



Liquorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra, Leguminosae). The root of this 

 plant has been recommended for the making of pulp for both white 

 and brown paper, as also for millboard. The plant is much cultivated 

 for its mucilaginous properties, and is used in medicine. Pontefract, 

 in the West Riding of Yorkshire, is a famous place for its culture. 



Twitch or Couch Grass (Triticum repens, Gramineae). This grass 

 is a pest to the agriculturist and the gardener, as its creeping rhizomes 

 are difficult to extirpate. It has been mixed with cocoanut fibre and 

 tan for the making of pulp to be used in paper-making. 



Indian Corn (Zea Mays, Gramineae). This exotic cereal has 

 received some attention for the making of paper pulp or half stuff. 



Hop Plant (Humulus Lupulus, Cannabinaceee). The wild hop grows 

 plentifully in the country waysides and ditches of the south of England, 

 particularly near the Thames about Staines (Middlesex). The fibres 

 of the roots and of the climbing stems of this plant have been 

 recommended for use in paper-making ; also for threads, cords, fabrics, 

 and felt. 



Grass Wrack (Zostera marina, Naiadaceae). This is a grass-like 

 plant found growing in salt-water ditches near the sea-shore, and on 

 rocks between tide-marks, and is fairly common. The leaves are 

 linear without points, but sheathing at the insertion. It has been 

 singled out as a likely plant for paper-making, either alone or in 

 combination with other fibrous materials under the name of Alva. 

 It has been used by upholsterers. Beds have been made of it in 

 Iceland and the north of Europe. The leaves of it have been used for 

 the packing of glass bottles, etc. 



Horse Radish (Cochlearia Armoracia, Cruciferae). The fibres of 

 the leaves and stems of this British cruciferous plant have been used 

 for making paper. 



French Willow-Herb (Epilobium angustifolium, Onagracese). 

 This plant grows in moist places on the banks of rivers, ponds, and 

 ditches in Scotland, and more sparingly in England. The bark of 



