110 



tissue cannot, I think, be considered as woody matter ; and from direct 

 examination of the so-called woody matter, on imperfectly cleaned fibre, I 

 have found it to consist of cellular tissue, and portions of the cuticle or skin 

 of the leaf, stiffened and glued to the fibre by the dried sticky juices of the 

 plant. 



2. The fibre cannot be indefinitely divided, the cells of the pleurenchyma 

 or woody tissue showing no tendency to tear longitudinally into filaments. 



3. The ultimate fibres are shorter than is commonly supposed — probably 

 not more than two inches in length, but on this point I am unable at present 

 to speak definitely. 



I have observed that in most of the returns of the sale of New Zealand 

 Flax in England, the discoloration of the fibre is alluded to as an objection, 

 and cause of a diminution in price. 



From the above microscopic examination of the fibre, and certain other 

 experiments to which I shall allude, I think I have discovered the chief cause 

 of the discoloration of the fibre, as now prepared, and also a means by which 

 that discoloration may be, to a great extent, avoided. 



I have formed this opinion from the following considerations. 



The fibre, as it exists in the uninjured leaf, is white, and this is the case, 

 even in the thick butt ends of the leaves. Any person may satisfy himself on 

 this point by carefully dissecting out a bundle of fibre, with as little injury as 

 possible to the surrounding cellular tissue. 



The fibre consists of elongated tubular cells containing air, or perhaps a 

 colourless liquid. 



In each bundle of fibre, very minute canals are formed by the interspaces 

 between the separate fibres. 



The bundles of fibre are imbedded in, and surrounded by, the cellular 

 tissue of the leaf. 



The cells of the cellular tissue are for the most part filled with sticky 

 juices of the plant, containing chloi'ophyll, albumen, fibrin, pectine, starch, 

 gluten, sugar, all that is popularly called gum, and in the butt ends of the leaf, 

 the cells immediately surrounding the fibres, contain a red fluid (probably 

 altered chlorophyll). 



In the process of manufacture, the leaf is beaten or bruised, the cellular 

 tissue is completely broken up, the fluid contents of the cells are set free, and, 

 by the same cause, openings would be forced in the tubular cells of the fibre, 

 whether those cells contained fluid or air, and if they contained fluid some of 

 that fluid would be pressed out. 



The result is obvious, the fluid juices would be drawn into the tubular 

 fibres and into the minute canals between the ultimate fibres, by capillary 

 attraction, and the tubes being so minute, the capillary attraction would act 

 very rapidly, and with great force. 



The remedy that I would suggest is simple. It is to dilute the juices of 

 the plant with water the very instant they are set free, so that the tubes may 

 absorb a mixture of juice and water, the more dilute the better, instead of the 

 pure juice. 



The following facts tend to show that the above views are to a great 

 extent correct. 



The fibre as it leaves the beating or stripping machines is green in colour, 

 and this green colour cannot be removed by mere washing. 



When the moist fibre, washed so as no longer to tinge water green, is 

 passed between powerful rollers, a large quantity of green fluid is expressed. 



The colour is improved by passing the moist fibre between rollers, or 

 through a beating machine, under a stream of water, and the sooner the water 

 is applied after the fibre has passed through the stripping machine the greater 



