I 14 ] 



III.— PKELIMINARY NOTE ON THE MANUFACTURE OF 

 PAPER FROM MOLINIA CCERULEA, by W. SMITH. 



[Read, November 15th, 1880.] 



The botanical name of Melic Grass, "which, with paper made from 

 it, is exhibited, is Molinia ccerulea, butfor the purpose of indicat- 

 ing the use for which it is so well suited, I have called it " Irish 

 Esparto." 



The natural habitat of this grass or sedge appears to be bog, 

 though it is sometimes found on clay land. 



It is easily distinguished by the seed stems, and by the 

 absence of knots on these stems, except one close to the root. It 

 grows in tufts, or rather mats, sometimes of considerable size, on 

 the margin of bogs or sides of bog drains, ditches, and where the 

 surface of bogs has been dug up, or in some way deprived of its 

 natural growth of heath, &c., &c. 



It is generally known that Esparto is extensively used in the 

 manufacture of paper, its use for this purpose may be said to date 

 only from about 1860. 



It is as a paper making material, and a rival of Esparto, to 

 which it bears some resemblance, that the Melic Grass promises 

 to be of commercial importance. 



The paper exhibited has been made solely from the grass 

 gathered this year on the bogs at Tyaquin, in the County Gal- 

 way, on the estate of Mr. N. S. Richardson, who has made some 

 experiments in cultivating the grass from seed. Last year Mr. 

 Richardson sent me some of the grass, which I tested as to its 

 paper making qualities ; and, though the quantity sent was small, 

 and the trial was the first ever made, the result was so favourable 

 that several Gal way gentlemen joined Mr. Richardson in ex- 

 perimenting on the best method of growing the grass. The infor- 

 mation obtained from these trials and from observation of its 

 natural habit, is that the grass grows well on partially drained 

 bog, that when by accident or design the surface of the bog had 

 been burned, there the grass was most luxuriant — in some cases 

 springing up after a fire in places where it had not previously 



