The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-29 00:00:00

PAPER.

Among the botanical specimens sent over from
Japan to the Societe d'Acclimatation by M. Eugene
Simon, there are a few young trees, out of the bark
of which the Japanese make very good and strong
paper. In China, the bark of the% Brouseennetia
papyrifera, a kind of mulberry-tree, is used ; that
of Japan is a variety of the same species, to which
Van Sieboldt has given the name of Broussonne-
tia Kanzinoki. Considering the daily increasing
difficulty of meeting the demand for rags, which
are sold at about £2 per cwt., the bark of this
tree, imported from Japan, would prove ex-
tremely valuable to the paper trade, inasmuch
as it would not cost more than half that price.
The B. Iraminoki might be easily acclimatised in
various parts of Europe; it prefers a stony soil,
especially of a calcareous nature, and should be
planted at intervals not exceeding three feet ; I
otherwise the branches would extend, whereby the
bark would become full of knots, causing much
loss of substance in the manufacture. The soil
is not manured until the second year; in the
autumn of that year the plant is lopped close to
the root, and this operation as well as that of
manuring slightly, is repeated every second
year. 1001bs. of branches thus obtained,
stripped of their leaves, yield 101bs. of bark.
The branches, on arriving at the manufactory,
are put into hot water for half an hour ; the bark
can then be easily stripped off with the hands, and
is afterwards left in the sun to dry, It is next
macerated for three days in river-water, and
bleached in the sun. These operations having
been several times repeated, the bark is at last
boiled in a lye of ashes for the space of three hours,
then manipulated for some time to separate any
epidermis that may have remained, and lastly,
when dry, the mass is pounded fine and made into
a pulp with water, to which aglutinous liquid, ex-
tracted from a shrub called Nebooriko, probably the
Accia Nemu, is added, in the proportion of about
two pints per cwt. of pulp. The latter is then
made into sheets much in the usual way.

SOUTH-EASTERN _RAILWAY COMPANY.

HALF-YEARLY MEETING YESTERDAY.
The half-yearly general meeting of proprietors of this
company was held this afternoon at the Bridge House
Hotel ; the Hon. T. Byng, chairman of the Board of Direc-
tors, in the chair. The report of the directors, an abstract
of which we have already published, was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
said that the report showed an increase in the net receipts,
which enabled them to declare a dividend at the rate of
£4 ss. per cent. per annum as against £4 3s. 4d. last year.
This was satisfactory, considering the circumstances which
had occurred. The diminution of 'raffle occasioned by the
depression of trade and ether causes had been made up by
an increase in the Continental passenger traffic, in con-
sequence of the large number of visitors to the Exhibition.
Of course the chief adverse influence they had to contend
with was the opening of a rival line to Dover, and the con-
sequent competition compelling them to lower their fares ;
but it would be observed that there had been a large increase
of passenger traffic in numbers, though a slight diminition
in receipts.

After some discussion, the report was a adopted.
A resolution, declaring a dividend in terms of the report
was then agreed to, and the meeting thereafter nominated
two new directors in accordance with the resolution. Messrs.
Bulkely and Whatman, the gentlemen recommended by the
directors, were elected.
The meeting was then made special for the purpose of
authorising the conversion and consolidation of such of the
" Fixed 4f per Cent. Preference Shares" of the company,
created Ist Fept. 1859, as have been fully paid up into Fixed
4} per Cent. Stock, under the powers and provisions of the
Charing-cross Railway Act, 1859, and the Companies
Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845. Authority was given to
the directors to carry these proposals into effect.
A rote of thanks having been given to the chairman, the
meeting separated.