Leatile Fabrics. — 149 
ties from other of our colonies, where greater heat will 
supply a more abundant crop, and probably more desirable 
varieties than exist in New Zealand itself. 
Broussonetia papyrifera and others :—This fibre in many 
varieties is diffused through a very extensive portion of the 
warmer parts of the Temperate Zones, and contributes 
largely to the manufacture of dress in the islands of the 
Pacific, and Indian Oceans. It does not appear to have 
claimed much attention from Europe, although it might 
occupy a more important position than has hitherto been 
allotted to it. From the facts of being of vigorous growth, 
and its cultivation everywhere known, it could doubtless be 
made a large produce, and might be imported at a very low 
price. 
It posesses properties which approximate ‘much more 
to cotton, than any other fibre. its characteristics there- 
fore specially deserve attention. When cleansed from 
loose vegetable matter, it separates into filaments equally 
fine with good flax. These filaments are of greater length 
than flax, but are so Jagged and branching, as possibly to 
cause them to be thought unsuitable for working on flax 
machinery. The separated cells are of great fineness, 
about equal toa good stapled cotton ; from one to one and 
a half inches in length ; even less brilliant than cotton itself ; 
soft; more cylindrical thancotton,though inclined to twist in 
a similar manner. From these properties it may be gathered 
that we have here one of the nearest approaches to cotton 
presented by the fibrous cell of any of the exogens; and 
if any fibres can replace cotton as a full substitute, this at 
least is one of them. The cells are difficult of separation, 
as nature appears to have made up fora lack of loose vege- 
table matter, by an additional tenaceous gum-resin, to 
eradicate which, the public modes of treating fibres subject 
this fibre to too rough treatment, and thereby induce the 
formation of lint. When partially separated into a state of 
flax-cotton, this isa fibre fitted for medium fabrics, possessing 
much, if not all, the softness and warmth of cotton without 
the brilliance of other fibres; but also with no greater 
strength than cotton. Perhaps it is questionable whether, 
.from the somewhat uneven length of the fibres composing 
it, a yarn could be produced of even so great strength as 
cotton itself. It appears to possess more felting property 
than most of fibres, and to dye equally well with cotton. 
It might be grown with facility as a profitable crop in many 
parts of the south of Europe, especiallyin Italy and Greece. 
