319 
of 
ric near the sea, where it formerl ew co ate necessi- 
tating its being sought for further afield among the hills and 
watercourses, two to five days’ journey from the coast. 
* This latter E coupled with the natural laziness of 
the Arab, in seeking to increase the weight of his load with the 
least possible toil to himsel by plucking weighty and mature fibre, 
may e? obably delay the total extinction of the plant for some 
years come. In the Algerian provinces, notably Oran, large 
plains To densely covered with the fibre, are now entirely 
denuded, and not a plant left, owing to the ignorance and thought- 
Loon of the labourers. 
* Despite the very little remuneration now offered by present 
prices to the peasantry, coupled with the long distance, whence 
it has now to be brought wd a iih en ay have ere 
diminished, showing the pecuniary assistance it affords t the 
peasantry when the ask de crops fail, franco eaten rainfall” 
The ic em. information — esparto in this country 
is taken from the Cantor Lectures “Commercial Fibres,” 
delivered in "1895, before the Society P Arts. The figures are 
brought down to J uly 15 of this year :— 
* The extensive use of esparto for paper-making is greatly due 
t 
1861 e "in A d 891 tons. 
1870 wie e d vd 89,156 ,, 
1880 s =A E in M IRSE. uw 
1890 Ts eat REA i MIU , 
1898 ve ved MS Da RULI gs 
“ The highest imports were in 1888, when they reached 248,836 
tons. Since 1890 they have somewhat declined. 
“ There is apparently a disposition, except in Scotland, to give 
up the use of esparto in favour of the cheaper and inferior wood- 
pulps. The gae in esparto are easily dissolved and bleached. 
An authority on paper-making writes es il felt readily, and 
yield an excellent pulp, which is RU d alone or mixed with 
rags, wood-pulp, or straw. They Farmeka a paper pliant, resistant, 
transparent, and of great purity ; thicker than other papers of the 
and f 
The following Table will show the comparative "ios 
esparto in 1878 and 1898 respectively. The great falling off tá 
