UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 404 



Contribation from the Bareaa of Plant Indostry 

 WM. A, TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER 



October 14, 1916 



HEMP KURDS AS PAPER-MAKING 

 MATERIAL 



By 



LYSTER H. DEWEY, Botanist in Charge of Fiber-Plant Investiga- 

 tions, and JASON L. MERRILL, Paper-Plant Chemist 

 Paper-Plant Investigations 



This bulletin is printed on paper manufactured from hemp hurds, 

 run No. 143, which is recorded on page 20 



CONTENTS 



The Prodaction and Handling of Hemp 

 Hnrds, by Lyster H. Dewey : 



Wliat Hemp Hurds are 1 



Pith, Wood, and Fiber 2 



Character of Hards Affected by Ret- 

 ting 2 



Proportion of Hurds to Fiber and 



Yield per Acre 3 



Hurds Available from Machine-Broken 



Hemp 3 



Present Uses of Hemp Hurds ... 4 



Present Supplies of Hurds Available . 5 



Baling for Shipment 5 



Cost of Baling ■ . . 5 



Summary 6 



The Manufacture of Paper from Hemp 

 Hurds, by Jason L. Merrill : 



Introduction 7 



Factors Justifying an Investigation of 



Hemp Hurds ... * 8 



Character of the Material 11 



Character of the Tests ...... 12 



Operations Involved in a Test ... 13 



Description of Tests 16 



Comparison of the Tests and Commer- 

 cial Practice 21 



Physical Tests of the Papers Produced 24 

 Conclusions . 25 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1916 



