5 



CANADA. 



It is to be regretted that the attention of flax-spinners was not directed, by exhibits, to the question 

 of the future importation of flax-straw and dressed fibre from this Colony ; on the other hand, the 

 subject has been publicly ventilated at a Conference held under the auspices of the Commission, at 

 which a paper was read by Mr. E. B. Biggar "While recently in Belfast, inspecting the new Cardon 

 flax-dressing machine at the works of Messrs. Combe, Barbour & Combe, I had the opportunity of 

 putting some Canadian straw through the process. The yield was fully 25 per cent, on the straw, and 

 the fibre of excellent quality. The impression created in Belfast is such as to lead us to anticipate a 

 large trade with the Colony in flax. The importation into this country from the Continental flax- 

 growing centres reached in 1880 the large total, in money value, of 3£ million pounds (sterling); for this 

 trade competition has now opened out new channels, the most important of which is Canada, withits unri- 

 valled agricultural capabilities. It is unnecessary to enlargeon a matter which has the attention of practical 

 men, both here and in the Colony. I may allude, however, to what I said in introducing the subject, 

 in regard to the conflict which will ensue, iu response to the keen demands of competitive trade, 

 between new fibres on the one side, and increased supplies of the old on the other. The more we know 

 of the properties of flax, the more the conviction grows of its many-sided superiority. Supposing a 

 largely-increased cultivation of the plant, and allowing all that is claimed for the new flax-dressing 

 machines, both in regard to increased. 3 r ield and superiority of condition, it is certain that both fibre 

 and fabrics will be produced at increasingly lower prices. A corresponding increase in the aggregate 

 consumption will depend ultimately upon the limit of profitable production, and the extent to which 

 flax can displace the competing fibres, cotton and hemp, which again is very much a question of intrinsic 

 superiority ; on both issues we may expect the consumption of flax to increase largely, and to some 

 extent, therefore, to the prejudice of new fibres which may be introduced to commerce. The subject is 

 a complicated one, and practical considerations bised on first principles must " give us pause" in deal- 

 ing with new problems in fibre- commerce lest we yield to the illusory claims of mere novelty, and 

 forget the a priori claim of long-established usage. Such considerations have peculiar force in refer- 

 ence to flax, and I have not neglected what appeared to be a favourable opportunity of insisting upon 

 this side of the question. There is another department of the fibre industry in which Canada will 

 doubtless play an increasingly important part, and that is the production of wood pulp for paper- 

 making. There were a number of exhibits of mechanical wood pulps in the Foresty Section (Group 

 IT., Class 2) to which it is not necessary to allude more specially, as. these are already articles of com- 

 merce. In Class 2 of Group V. also, there was an exhibit of chemical pulp prepared by the Canada 

 Paper Co., Montreal, which is deserving of mention, as also are the papers manufactured by the same 

 company. This subject will be found thoroughly discussed in all its aspects in the reports of the 

 Forestry Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1884, and it would be out of place, therefore, to enter here into a 

 detailed discussion. 



AUSTRALIAN COLONIES. 



There were no exhibits in the sections of New South Wales and West Australia to which parti- 

 cular attention can be directed. 



In the former I found specimens of bast, from various species of Sterculia, but these were of no 

 especial interest. In Western Australia there was a specimen of the indigenous Spinifex, with a rope 

 of native manufacture. Mr. George Whitfield exhibited two bundles of fibrous plants (identified by 

 Mr. Jackson of Kew, as a species of Daphne), with a view of their being investigated by a paper maker. 

 The low yield of cellulose (24"6 per cent.,) however, together with their very imperfect preparation, 

 precluded any useful result. 



The South American Commissioners exhibited two fibrous substances " Mullett's" fibre, the long 

 sword-shaped leaves of the Lepidosperma gladiatum and " Porcupine Grass." 



These fibres on analysis yielded the following percentages of cellulose respectively : 34 - 4 and 36 - 5 

 The Lepidosperma examined in transverse section, under the microscope, was found to contain a fair 

 proportion of fibrovascular bundles, on which the constituent bast fibres have an average length of 

 1-5-2*5 mm. 



These results were such as to justify a paper-making experiment, for which, with commendable 

 foresight, the Commissioners had brought a sufficient quantity. The raw material was sent to the 

 well-known paper mill of Mr. E. Joynson, of St. Mary Cray, Kent, he having kindly volunteered to 

 personally superintend the work of converting it into paper. The substance was " pulped" by the 

 process of boiling, at 401bs. pressure, with basic sulphite of soda (20 per cent.) afterwards washed, 

 bleached and beaten in the ordinary way. A small portion was made into sheets on a hand frame, and 

 yielded a paper of a slight yellowish colour, which left nothing to be desired in point of strength. 



The bulk was run on the machine, the operation being witnessed by Sir Samuel Davenport and 

 Mr. Scott. Here also an excellent paper was produced, exceptionally strong, and taking a good finish, 

 in the glazing rolls. The result was altogether satisf ictory, and Mr. Joynson asked to be supplied 

 with sufficient raw material for making a ton of paper, in order farther to demonstrate its paper-making 

 qualities. This request has been complied with, and a quantity of three tons is now on its way. It is in- 

 tended to make this into paper for exhibition in Adelaide this year. The Porcupine Grass having been 

 found on preliminary investigation to be more nearly allied to the well-known Esparto, was pulped 

 on the usual plan of treating the latter, viz., boiling under pressure with caustic soda solution. The 

 grass, however, having been collected by amateurs, and therefore with a plentiful admixture of roots 

 and seeds, yielded a very unpromising mixture. By carefully picking over a small portion, and beat 



