TO THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER. G7 



be good, but which the paper-maker did not see prepared ; which he 

 cannot conscientiously warrant, and which, costing more than the raw 

 material, does not economise machinery or labour. Alfa is too high in 

 price, at present, to allow of superfluous or faulty methods in its use. 



But if the idea of pulp mills is impracticable, it is not so as regards 

 an establishment for cleansing the alfa, before compressing it. The alfa 

 when yet green would by fermentation, yield its resin and a great part 

 of its colouring matters. Its fibres softened, then dried, could be com- 

 pressed with more ease, and the paper maker would find it more econo- 

 mical to substitute cleansed alfa for the raw plant. But, in practice, in 

 Algeria as in Spain, the scarcity of water in the vicinity of the alfa 

 regions makes this a difficult proceeding. 



I will now examine, comparatively, the prices of alfa-paper, and of rag- 

 paper ; in the first part of this essay, the plant delivered at the port of 

 Havre, is shown to cost 14.38 frs. per 100 kilog. In another paragraph, 

 the estimated loss, theoretically, from the raw plant to paper is 26.5 per 

 cent. ; according to this calculation, 100 kilog. of alfa would yield 73^ 

 of paper, and 136 kilog. of the plant 100 kilog. of paper. 136 kilog. of 

 alfa at 14.38 frs. gives 19.55 frs. as the cost of the raw material at Havre. 



Now, rags at the price of 19.55 frs. are not of a superior quality ; 

 old cordage, more or less tarred, is worth 24 to 28 frs. (at present 34 to 

 35 francs). Bags at 19 frs., linen, wool, cotton of all colours, and mixed 

 (whereas the waste on alfa has been considered in our calculation and 

 does not exist) give a loss of 30 to 45 per cent., according to the degree 

 of whiteness desired ; being on the average 37 per cent. Consequently 

 100 kilog. of rag-paper will cost, in respect to raw material (136 kilog. at 

 19.55 frs.), the sum of 26.78 frs. If we consider the actual conditions of 

 manufacture for certain papers, we shall find that for news-paper the raw 

 material is represented by the sum of 32 frs. as the minimum, up to 54 

 frs. for certain sorts. Proceeding from theory to practice, and without 

 being indiscreet as to the working of the mills where I have made im- 

 portant experiments jointly with a skilful maker, we have seen that alfa, 

 from the first, without modification of machinery, of re-agents, and of 

 labour, advantageously contends with the raw materials habituaUy em- 

 ployed in these mills, and even with straw for common wrapping-papers. 

 But, in the cost of manufacture, alfa was taken in its raw state, waste 

 not included, at the price of 14 frs. the 100 kilog. Consequently, 

 practice has verified two things : the practical waste corresponds exactly 

 with the theoretic waste, and the various manipulations of the alfa are 

 not more costly than those of its rivals. 



In conclusion, the results have been in favour of alfa as regards the 

 entire manufacture, and have led to a demand for extensive supplies. 



In the establishment of the price of 140 frs. per 1000 kilog. of alfa, 

 delivered at the port of Havre, I have endeavoured to eliminate all 

 erroneous expenses arising at the outset of a commercial operation. 

 T Jntil now, in fact, the cost of 14 frs. has not been positively realized by 



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