4-IO PAPER IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



as follows: The Seoul Independent office; the Trilingual Press, 

 and the English Church Mission Press, all in Seoul. The other 

 offices use only the Japanese and Korean languages. 



The principal articles manufactured from paper are a thick sort 

 of oilcloth (paper) for the floors and a tough oil paper for rain coats, 

 hats, and umbrellas. 



The consumption of foreign writing paper and paper for printing 

 offices will increase. 



WATER POWER, TRANSPORTATION, AND FUEL. 



Korea is a very mountainous country. Undeveloped water power 

 is plentiful, but the winters are very severe. There are numerous 

 water ways in Korea that are navigable for small craft. The first 

 railway is not yet completed, though under construction. 



Transportation is effected by man or pony back at present, except 

 where water is available. 



Very little water power is developed for use in Korea. 



Fuel is scarce at present, though there are good and ample coal 

 deposits in the country. Poor soft coal costs now $8 gold per ton, 

 chiefly owing to cost of transportation from Japan. 



PRODUCTION. 



Paper is principally made from the bark of a species of mulberry 

 tree {Broussonetai papyri/era] which grows rapidly in Korea. 



The method of making it is as follows: 



The bark of the mulberry is soaked in river water, mixed with 

 wood ashes, in a wooden vat, out of doors, until it becomes a grayish 

 mass. At the proper time, an inclined board is placed with one end 

 over this vat and a ladleful of the mass is spread evenly over a 

 bamboo mat laid on the board; this mat is then reversed by a dex- 

 terous motion and the thin layer of pulp spread on the board, from 

 which it is separated by a straw at either end. A boy then places a 

 straw or a long slender reed on top of this layer of pulp, at either 

 end; another ladleful of the mass is spread on the mat, drained, 

 and placed on top of the first one; and so on. 



The thickness of the sheet of paper depends upon the amount 

 of pulp placed on the mat, and upon the addition of rice starch to 

 the pulp. 



After this pile has drained sufficiently, the layers are removed 

 one by one by means of the straws or reeds, and placed in the sun 

 to dry. When dried and bleached sufficiently, they are taken to a 

 room with a hot paper floor and ironed smooth by hand. 



IMPORTS AND DUTY. 



Imported paper reaches Korea chiefly from Japan and China. 

 It is made in these countries or imported from America and Europe. 



