DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 335 



a distinct species, is said to grow wild in some parts of Mexico. Aside from its great 

 value as a cereal, ordinary field corn is the best of the annual forage plants for soil- 

 ing, and is also valued and used by many farmers for ensilage, being cut for this 

 purpose when the kernels commence to glaze. (F. Lamson-Scribner.) 



Structural Fiber. — The husks or spathes inclosing the ears of maize have been 

 used in various ways in many countries: (1) As a fiber for yarns, for crash; (2) for 

 plaiting, like many of the reeds; (3) for filling mattresses and in upholstery, and, 

 lastly, (4) for making paper. " There is a record of two maize-paper establishments 

 existing in Italy in the eighteenth century."' (J. B. Dodge.) 



Economic considerations. — The commercial industry belongs chiefly to Ger- 

 many, Austria, and Hungary, though a patent for a maize-paper process was issued 

 by the United States in the beginning of the present century to John Harkins, of 

 New Jersey, iu 1802 ; another was issued in 1838 to Homer Holland, of Massachu- 

 setts, and in 1860 a patent was issued for making paper pulp of corncobs. Among 

 the first serious experiments in manufacturing paper from maize were those made 

 just prior to 1860 by Moritz Diamant, a Bohemian, who suggested to Baron Bruck, 

 Austrian minister of finances, a process for making paper from maize. The imperial 

 paper mill at Schlogelmuhl, near Gloggnitz, undertook the manufacture, under Dia- 

 mant's direction; the product was not quite satisfactory either in quality or cost of 

 manufacture. His first application for Government aid was in 1856. After the 

 unsuccessful experiment, followed by effectual efforts to induce private individuals 

 to continue the work, he made a second request of the minister of finance, fortified 

 with recommendations from judicious, practical men, and the experiments were 

 continued, but were not 3 r et fully successful. To reduce the cost, a " half-stuff fac- 

 tory " was erected in a maize district, designed to cut off the heavy expense of trans- 

 portation of the crude material. The product was so inferior that Diamant became 

 disheartened, absented himself, and was released from his position, leaving the ques- 

 tion unsolved. The cost of this experiment was about S13,000, which had been 

 advanced by the imperial paper mill. The direction of the Schlogelmuhl paper mill, 

 not disposed to discontinue the effort to make a good and cheap paper, continued the 

 experiments, aiming first to reduce the cost of production, and, secondly, to investi- 

 gate the cost of using only the finest husks inclosing the ear, rather than the leaves 

 of the stalk entire. The result was, if not a material for paper cheap as rags, the 

 discovery of a new fiber capable of being spun and woven, and furnishing, in its 

 waste, a cheap paper. Specimens resulting from these Austrian experiments were 

 sent to the United States Department of Agriculture. Among them were yarns, to 

 be used as a substitute for flax in crash, and oilcloth made from it, with a variety 

 of papers, including " Royal Chancery," letter paper, flower paper, cigarette paper, 

 silk paper, and drawing paper, ranging in price from $1.60 to $1.80 per ream. 



The progress made in perfecting the manufacture of paper has of late been very 

 satisfactory. Evidence of this is abundantly afforded in the specimens recently 

 received at the Department from Dr. Chevalier Auer de Welsbach, director of the 

 imperial printing establishment at Vienna and superintendent of the imperial paper 

 mills at Schlogelmuhl, who had been unremitting in his efforts, which have been 

 crowned with a large measure of success. Among these papers are found parchment 

 and document papers of great strength and durability; tracing paper of superior 

 tenacity and transparency, an effect of the natural gluten of the husks, rendering 

 unnscessary the present expensive process of its manufacture and supplying 

 draftsmen with the cheapest material known; letter paper in various styles and 

 in several colors, with a smooth and polished but soft surface, which takes the ink 

 kindly; "chancery papers" of great variety in size, very heavy and durable; 

 beautiful silk paper of several colors, of wonderful delicacy in structure and finish ; 

 paper for the manufacture of artificial flowers, in lilac, rose, blue, green, and 

 brown, gossamer-like yet strong, weighing but 6 pounds to the ream; and cigarette 

 paper, but little heavier, weighing but 7 pounds to the ream. Of most varieties 

 both machine and hand papers are produced. A peculiarity of this paper, due to 



