VEGETABLE FIBRES AVAILABLE FOR TEXTILE FABRICS. 497 
During the course of these remarks it will appear evident that many 
fibres exist well adapted for such a class of manufacture of desirable 
excellence, and at moderate prices. 
The efforts to substitute the former supply of cotton claim pro- 
minence here. Amongst others we have those of Mr. Thompson of 
Dundee, who exhibited in Austinfriars, E.C., some beautiful samples of 
jute claimed to be suitable for this purpose and for mixing with wool. 
But it could not be supposed that a hard, brittle, and coarse-celled fibre, 
such as jute, should possess any of the properties required for cloths 
now produced from cotton (and the experiment certainly did not appear 
to have developed any qualities not previously known), whilst for mixing 
with combing wools, the average length of the individual cells (in which 
state alone it could be satisfactory for this use) appears shorter than the 
necessities of the trade demand, though doubtless some jute exists of 
elongated growth of cell which might be thus applied for some fabrics. 
The praiseworthy attempts of Mr. Harben, to extract a fine fibre 
from Zostera marina, claim notice. Here a beautiful fibre really 
exists, constituting the bone of the leaf. It appears to possess brilliancy, 
softness, and many of the desired properties ; and though, when com- 
pletely separated, it is short and tender, yet it would be a desirable 
adjunct to our fibrous materials if it could be separated in sufficient 
quantity and at moderate prices. The latter seems doubtful from the 
small yield of fibre in proportion to bulk of weed containing it, joined to 
the difficulties of preparing it ; irrespective of probable difficulties of culti- 
vation to a large extent except over very extended distances. We may 
here pause to inquire whether sufficient attention has been given to the 
bye-products, say as a source of gum substitutes or of glucose. The 
mucilage itself appears closely allied to other mucilages which, as is 
well known, are easily convertible into other forms. 
Considerable attempts have been made, and are still making (by a 
company recently formed for its development), in Fiance, and to some 
small extent in England also, to produce a substitute for cotton from 
China grass. We have here a fibre naturally brilliant, with cells of from 
three to eighteen inches long, and bearing a striking similarity-, when 
not too closely viewed, to some long-stapled hairs and wools. We shall 
best consider the attempted treatment of this nngnincent fibre as a 
cotton substitute by the patent of Mersrs. Mallard and Bonneau, of 
Lille, upon which most of the later patentees appear to have rung their 
changes without imparting any substantial novelty. These gentlemen 
have operated by cutting the grass into lengths of about two inches and 
treating it with oil and alkalies. With the chemical part of this treat- 
ment we have, at present, no concern, but with the fibre alone. The cell, 
as compared with cotton is brilliant, straight, stiff, cylindrical, and more 
than twice the thickness. (About equal to medium and fine mohair.) 
When cut down, and rendered uneven by separating the fibre, con- 
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