ON THE PAPER MANUFACTURE. 13 



every division of the alkalimeter is equal to one grain of caustic or pure 

 soda. Enough of this standard acid should now be made to serve for a 

 great number of valuations. 



The actual process of valuing any sample of soda ash is now pro- 

 ceeded with in the same way as the 100 grains of carbonate of soda was 

 treated in the foregoing description. The only difference being, that the 

 inference to be drawn in this case is not the strength of the acid from the 

 saturation of the pure carbonate of soda, but the converse ; the strength 

 of the sample of soda ash, or real amount of soda it contains, is to be 

 inferred from the amount of acid used to neutralise it, each measure 

 being equal to one grain of pure soda. 



ON THE PAPER MANUFACTURE. 



BY BENJAMIN LAMBERT. 

 II. 



Among the almost infinite variety of objects which arrest the atten- 

 tion of the diligent Technologist, paper must always hold a foremost 

 place, not only as being a beautiful product of practical science, with 

 uses so various as almost to defy enumeration, but mainly on account of 

 the numerous members of the vegetable kingdom, which are fitted to 

 enter into its constituent parts. The paper manufacture of this country, 

 both by the amount of its invested capital and relative producing power, 

 is entitled to rank as a national industry ; and although its proportions 

 may be dwarfed when brought into comparison with the gigantic wealth- 

 producing interests, cotton and coal, must still claim a conspicuous place 

 in the long list of British manufactures. Such being the case, its welfare 

 becomes matter of public concern, and its scientific necessities the 

 subject of careful and special consideration. 



The welfare of the great bidk of the paper manufacture is based on 

 a plentiful supply of cotton and linen rags, and the complaint of the 

 trade is that the available supply is not equal to the demand. It is 

 stated with truth that the production of rags cannot be increased by any 

 effort of private enterprise, but the further allegation that rags are 

 essential to the production of the finer sorts of paper, must be taken 

 cum grano salis by all parties who have seriously investigated the 

 question. For centuries rags have been considered a waste product, 

 destitute of value, other than for the manufacture of paper. We have 

 always bought largely in the different continental markets ; whilst our 

 own has been subject to periodical visitation from our cousins in the 

 United States of America. Under the old fiscal regulations, the 

 established system of trade worked smoothly enough, and paper-makers 

 in this country did not care to look seriously beyond existing circum- 

 stances for any prospective, disturbing cause. Rags were abundant, 

 the paper-maker could literally revel in the variety of material which 



