146 
AN INQUIRY INTO VEGETABLE FIBRES 
AVAILABLE FOR TEXTILE FABRICS. 
BY H. SHERWOOD. 
(Continued from page 98.) 
N previous numbers we have noticed China grass, and 
flax. Hemp claims our next attention. It appears to 
have been always considered only available for lowest uses. 
Beyond rope, twine, or sackcloth, it must not rise. Yet, in 
its cleanest aspects, it seems to say “I know, and you 
know my value.” This sole use for heaviest purposes, 
arises out of the close manner in which nature has 
agelutined its cells into filaments, which again, by looser 
vegetable matter, are formed into a broad sheet. Witohut 
lessening its use for its present heavy purposes, art might 
have rendered it the most useful fibre we possess (consider- 
ing its price), for a medium class of fabrics ina partly 
separated state, as flax-cotton; and, to a limited extent, 
valuable in a state of separated cells. 
The individual cell in hemp is coarser than in flax, in 
about the ratio of three to two. Itis of similar length, nearly 
as brilliant, less equal in thickness, tapering towards the 
end; and is at least equally valuable and desirable as the 
cotton substitute obtained from China grass, and, in an un- 
combed state, similar toit, but possesses better spinning pro- 
perties. Though not adapted to the fine uses for which a 
similar state of flax is adapted ; yet, for yarns, for many pur- 
poses requiring brilliance, as warps for fancy mixed fabrics, it 
will be valuable, probably equally so, as the shortest “Top” 
taken out of China grass. 
In the partly separated state as a flax-cotton, produced 
by ridding entirely the filament from loose vegetable matter, 
Bombay and Sunn hemp of good qualities, considering 
their price, are more desirable for many uses than any 
other of our fibrous materials, and will, doubtless, at some 
day assert their claims to these uses. | 
And here, perhaps, an apology may be permitted to be 
put in for this state of fibre. When introduced by 
Claussen, fifteen years ago, it attracted considerable atten- 
tion, yet it did not appear to have suggested a definite use. 
Seeing that it was specially suited for working on fine tow 
machinery, complaints were made of its price (36s. to 60s.) 
exceeding that of ordinary tows, and had its price been — 
