82 
VEGETABLE FIBRES AVAILABLE FOR TEXTILE FABRICS. 
machinery be not the demand for idle machinery rather than of thinking men able to 
adapt machinery to requirements ? Though some fibres exist which appear eminently 
adapted for mixing with silk and with combed wool, yet probably these fibres are destined 
to be more used alone than in any combination. But we may presume that the raw 
materials appearing on the market in a state suitable for the manufacturer would create 
their own machinery, their own suitable uses, and their own demand. 
The attempts at improvement in the use of fibres have very properly taken the direc¬ 
tion of dividing the filaments from their natural state of further separation, or into the 
individual cells of which each filament is composed. Amongst the earlier attempts made 
during the last fifteen years appear prominent those of the Chevalier Claussen, who un¬ 
fortunately erred through claiming qualities for his products which could not reasonably 
exist. That split filaments of flax should dye much better than whole filaments equally 
cleansed from loose vegetable matter is what cannot be conceded ; nor that they should 
acquire a greater felting property than the corresponding increase of number of fila¬ 
ments would give. Neither can it be allowed that any fibrous material uneven in 
breadth of filament should be suitable for mixing with wool or silk, if beauty of yarns 
be necessary. Nevertheless, though the material was rendered imperfect through erro¬ 
neous treatment (the cause of the evil effects of which have since been demonstrated 
during researches on the rooting effect of silicates on cotton cloth), the state of fibre was 
manifestly a step in the right direction, and pointed to a new character of cloth, produ¬ 
cible from less expensive fibres than flax, equidistant from cotton and linen, possessing 
more warmth and softness than the latter, and for heavy fabrics more strength and firm¬ 
ness than the former. 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 prominence 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 completely 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 mo¬ 
derate 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 pro¬ 
bable difficulties of cultivation 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 France, and to some small extent in England also, to 
produce a substitute for cotton from China grass. We have here a fibre naturally bril¬ 
liant, 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 con¬ 
sider the attempted treatment of this magnificent fibre as a cotton substitute by the 
patent of Messrs. Mallard and Bonneau, of Lille, upon which most of the later paten¬ 
tees 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 treatment we have, 
at present, no concern, but with the fibre alone. The cell, as compared with cotton, is 
brilliant, straight, stiff, cylindric-al, and more than twice the thickness (about equal to 
medium and fine mohair). When cut down, and rendered uneven by separating the 
