Flax fur Paper-making. 
465 
impossible to deal with ; and further, it has to be boiled under 
a pressure of about 80 lbs. to the inch for a considerable time 
before yielding up its fibre. What this extra expense amounts 
to I am unable to say ; but it cannot, in my opinion, be of any 
great consequence, only it necessitates extra machinery (chaff- 
cutter and high-pressure boiler), the latter not always available 
in the paper-mills of the present day. 
Is this a new discovery ? will be the question naturally 
occurring. As far as paper-making is concerned, I believe it 
is entirely new. For certain kinds of paper flax has been used 
from time immemorial. The ancient Egyptians are said to 
have made paper from flax, and the waste from linen factories 
has for some time been made use of by paper-makers. But 
the use of the raw material, the separation of the fibre by 
means of boiling under pressure, is, I believe, quite new, and 
the horrour of the discovery belongs to Mr. Reed ; this is the 
secret of flax being now used for paper-making. The import- 
ance of this discovery appears to be considerable in its probable 
effect both on the paper-trade and upon British agriculture. 
Assuming, as I think I am entitled to do, that flax at 4/. 10s. 
is a cheap substitute for esparto-grass, it would appear certain 
that in future it must enter largely into competition with that 
product ; and that, assuming the price of esparto to be 6Z. 10s. 
per ton, and that flax is equal to it in quality, if not superior (as I 
strongly suspect), the effect of its use will be to reduce the cost of 
esparto to 4/. 10s. per ton, which prooably means driving it out 
of the market, or the price of flax will rise to a level with that of 
esparto. I believe the latter to be by no means unlikely, though 
probably the prices of both will be affected and assimilated. 
Now it may be well to consider for a moment the extent 
and importance of the trade in esparto-grass — used, it will be 
understood, entirely in the manufacture of paper. The fol- 
lowing figures show the amount and value of the imports of 
esparto in the years 1879, 1880, 1881 : — 
Tous. Value. 
1879 162,014 £ 952,020 
1880 190,891 1,368,307 
1881 192,328 1,275,707 
Equal to an average price of about 6/. 8s. per ton. 
But prices for the present year are considerably higher, and 
in January averaged 9/. per ton. Assuming that flax took the 
place of esparto-grass only, it would require some 128,000 acres 
to supply the equivalent. Calculating on a crop of 30 cwt. 
per acre, the value of the straw at 4Z. 10s. per ton only 
would amount to 864,000Z. — a nice little sum for the British 
farmer to realise for flax-straw. But it is not only esparto- 
VOL. XVIII. — S. S. 2 H 
