EUROPE: BELGIUM. 



61 



/V//Vr exports Continued. 



PRODUCTION. 



With the exception of a few turbine water wheels, of a total of 

 about 450 horsepower, no use is made by the Belgian manufacturers 

 of water power. 



The fuel generally used is native coal (half soft), which costs from 

 $1.73 to $1.93 at the point of production. 



The facilities of transportation are at every hand and are afforded 

 at very cheap rates. 



The country furnishes an abundance of rags, which are exported 

 in large quantities from this port and Ghent, for use as paper stuff. 

 The wood pulp used here by manufacturers has been heretofore 

 largely imported from Norway, Austria, Germany, and Canada, 

 although recently inquiries have been made here for some varieties 

 of the American product. 



The varieties of wood pulp used are the mechanical, the half 

 chemical, the soda pulp, and the bisulphite. Other raw materials 

 used in the manufacture are china clay, sulphate of baryte, clay, and 

 ocher. The methods of manufacture employed are modern. 



Mechanical industries in Belgium being in a highly developed 

 state, and the country containing a large number of skillful and 

 intelligent mechanics and workmen, special facilities exist here for 

 the construction of all kinds of machinery and tools demanded in the 

 paper industry. 



The following named are the best known machines made here: 

 " Pilles raffineuses" for mixing the pulp, ''machines continues" for 

 making paper, "calandres satiner" for surfacing, "coupeuses" 

 for cutting purposes. 



The "machines continues " of Belgian make are said by the paper 

 makers to be superior to those manufactured in the neighboring 

 competing countries. The centers of production of this machinery 

 are Huy, Nixelles, and Willebroeck. Further, metal covers for 



