334 [Assembly 



The temperate latitudes of America produce a genus of plants 

 like aloes. It is many years preparing its fibres. 



PAPER. 



History says that Cassius Hemina, an ancient annalist, speaks 

 of some books which were found in the tomb of JYuma when it 

 was opened, 535 years after his death, made of paper, and interred 

 with him nearly 700 years before our Savior. 



The first paper was made from papyrus, the next from cotton 

 by the Chinese and Persians, and then the Arabians. This ancient 

 paper shows no wire marks ; a different process from ours must 

 have been used. Cotton paper was made about the year 900 or 

 1000. Linen paper is supposed to have been invented about the 

 year 1200. 



In 1 72 1 Great Britain produced about 300,000 reams of it ; about 

 two thirds of the whole consumption. 



Attempts have been made to make paper from the tendrils of 

 the grape vine, from stalks of nettles, thistles, mallows, bark of 

 the willow, hawthorn, beech, aspen, lime, hop vine, straw. 



Fourdrinier's paper-making machine is justly admired. A con- 

 tinuous web of wire is carried evenly on rollers, is accurately 

 covered in its progress with the paper pulp in the required quan- 

 tity ; makes 25 superficial feet of paper per minute ; takes rags 

 on one day and delivers the paper made from them on the next 

 day. The old method required three months. Hand made paper 

 is sometimes 4 feet 7 inches long, by 2 feet 7| inches wide. The 

 machine made paper is 5 feet wide, and as long as you please to 

 run it. 



FLAX. 



There are about 80 ilax-spining mills in Ireland, which contain . 

 500,000 spindles, and yield 9,000,000 bundles of yarn a year, 

 worth about $11,000,000. What an immense number of fingers 

 and spinning wheels must have been used formerly before ma- 

 chinery was used. 



