254 PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



Among objects manufactured of paper and cardboard are espe- 

 cially to be noted labels, envelopes, paper bags, and boxes all of 

 which are manufactured on a large scale at Norrkoping, and are 

 also exported. Playing cards are also manufactured in Sweden, 

 being made under State control, so that every package must be 

 stamped before sale. I consider the exports of such cards to be 

 10,000 packs a year. 



Another article which is used for building purposes (manufac- 

 tured from wood and wood pulp pressed together), which is gaining 

 a good market, is the compo board. 



PULP MANUFACTURE. 



Wood pulp is one of Sweden's most prominent articles of export, 

 and the production of this raw material for paper may be called one 

 of the natural industries of the country, thanks to the rich supply of 

 timber suitable for the purpose and of motive power from the 

 numerous waterfalls. So far as concerns the technical development 

 of this industry, Sweden has from the very beginning taken a lead- 

 ing position, especially regarding the invention and introduction of 

 improved methods. The first wood-pulp factory was founded at 

 Trollhattan in 1857. In this establishment, the "Volter's" system 

 was used, according to which the pulp is produced by the grinding 

 of unboiled blocks of wood against a sandstone revolving on a hori- 

 zontal axle, the blocks being saturated with water during the grind- 

 ing. More recently established manufactories for the production of 

 wood pulp from raw blocks have the grindstones lying horizontally 

 as a rule, while hydraulic pressure is used for bringing the wood 

 into contact with the stone. Another method which was afterwards 

 introduced into several works consists in boiling the wood in water 

 before grinding. By the use of this so-called half-chemical wood 

 pulp, the paper no doubt becomes stronger, but is darker in color, 

 as the pulp after being boiled is difficult to bleach. 



In late years there has been introduced the manufacture of chem- 

 ical wood pulp, or, as it is commonly called, cellulose, partly by 

 the use of caustic soda, partly by sulphite of lime according to 

 Mitscherlich's method, and partly by sulphite of magnesia, the last 

 being a method of a Swedish engineer, C. D. Ekman. Still another 

 method has been lately tried, namely, the use of a lye which consists 

 principally of sulphate of soda, which method is cheaper than any of 

 those mentioned 



The Swedish wood-pulp factories increased rapidly until 1870, 

 after which there came a period of stagnation which lasted till 1880, 

 when their number again rapidly rose. In 1875, there were in Swe- 

 den 18 wood-pulp manufactories, with a product worth $300,000; in 



