The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-09-07

psrments of tho Treasury and Board OF Trade, In
EDelar d. Ia regard to the increasing scarcity Of the
matt rails for the fabrication Of paper, has been re-
Gently pub ished in Parliamentary paper
TREASURY CHAMBERS, Feb Is. 1854.
Sm-I am commando by the Lords Commission
eTs OF her Msjetty's Treasury to acqus'nt you at
1t has be- Represented 70 their orcsaps tnss great
sI mere asipg scarcity has been felt rf lac In OBJ
tanning supplies Of the raw material Of paper cou-
sistipg not rply of rags, but also largely Of the
refuse Il cotton and fax mills. 1t Is sated tast
within the last TED years the prices OF these articles
have Rrt atty advanced, that rags can be lmnored
from only few parts of Europe, and that as there
is no regular AMI open market for rags and the
other materials used in the manufacture OF paper,
inc, eased demand and high price DO mot call forth
increased supply as in ether articles Oh commerce
With view to diminish the inconvenience thus
felt, it has been suggested to my lords, that her
Males ys coDsuls abroad might be instructed to OBJ
tain IL for nation and procure samples OF vegetable
fibre their respective localities, applicable to the
manufacture OF paper. In doing this, 1t would
have to be borne In mind that the great essential OF
such an article must be its heapness, to cover the
high freights now prevsilir g. and which, II may be
aDuciI ated, viii prevail for some time. Asregards
the nature OF tie article, my lords are informed,
that with the exception OF jute canvas and gunny
esseiIg every description Of Vegetable abre Is nov
pal ere. Fbrous reeds and Iushes, Il e inner bark
OF many trees and several kinds Of vegetable fibre
in warm or tropical Countries are substances likely
70 oe o. SERVICE especially wnese .1ey could Dc I'M
sed bales; but quantity and steadiness Of supply are
essential. As regards price, my lords understand
that If the article could be laid down so as to cost
beacbed, without re koning the cost of preparation
it would be sufficiently low to answer the purpose
10 view.
My lords request that you win bring this subject
under the of the Lords of the Commit
II If far raj m mn tna
lordships, fthey concur 10 the expediency OF the
inquiry here suggested to communicate on the SUBJ
ject with the Foreign Office, In order that the ne
cessary circular Instructions may be issued to her
aove,ted to- i am, &c. JAMES WILSON.
JAS. BOOTH, Esq, &c.
OFFICE OF COMMITTEE OF PRIvY COUNCIL
FOR TRADE, WHITEHALL, May 81, 1854.
SIR-With reference to your letter Of the 18th of
February, on the subject Of the fai ing supply OF
materials for the increasing manufacture Of paper
am directed by the Lords of Committee Of Piivy
Council for Trade to acquaint you that they have
brought The matter under the notice Of the Depart
ment of Science attached to this board, aud they
bave also obtained the report Of tie officer in charge
Of the scientific correspondence relative to the vege
table productions Of India, through the medium Of
the India Board.
sm directed to enclose the communication re-
ceived from DR. Lyon Playfair, and from DR.. Forbes
Royle. am, &c, j. EMERSON TENNENT.
JAMES WILSON, Esq, &c.
INDIA BOARD, May l5, 1854.
SR-In reply to your letter of the 10th ult, en-.
closing letter addressed to the Board Of Trade by
the Teasury, respecting the procuration Of raw
ed by sSe commssoners for the Affairs Of ads to
transmit to you q report by DR.. Royle, received
from the East India House upon this subject, In
compliance with the object expressed in your let
ter. have, &C., 4. N. REDINGTON.
Dir J. E. TENNRNr, &c.
BOARD OF TRADE, April 10, 1854.
SIR am directed by the Lords OF the Commit
tee Of Privy Council for Trade to forward you q
copy of communication received from the Lords
Of her Msjestys Treasury, and to request that the
under the notice Of the chairman and directors Of
the Honorable East India Company, with view to
obtaining the opinion Of DR.. Forbes Royle, the off,
Ger in charge Of the scientific correspondence re-
la,iIg to the vegetable productions Of India;
Sir T. N. RED1xoroN, &C., DC.
MEMORANDUM ON MATERIALS FOR PAPER MAKING
PRoCURABLE FROM INDIA
In reply to the reference from the Lords Of the
Committee Of Privy Council tor Trade, requiring
materials for pepper msking, beg to be allo we'd to
ob'erye that it is subject On which have Of late
been frequently consulted, and have communicated
much Of the following inf0rmation:-
z PAPER, it 10 well known, is In Europe made chiefly
fcm linen or cotton rags, but also from the refuse
and sweepiDgs OF cotton and fax mills, as also Of
T. coverings of our cotton bales and of worn-out
ropes. But paper ID also made from the stems and
from the bamboo by the Chinese, and Of late from
ct mmcn straw in this country, and even from wood
shayings. The ibrous part Of many lily and aloe.
Ieaved plants have been converted into excellent
paper in India, where the fbres Of tiliaceous, mall
yaceous, and leguminous plants are employed for
the same purpose-as In the Himalayas, one of the
lace bark tribe is similarly employed, and in China
one Of the mulberry tribe, and the nettle in Hol.
plants belle to the same families as the above
abound in India and other warm countries, and are
capable OF yielding very abundant and never fail.
ing supply Of sufficiently cheap and very excellent
may be used without any further process Of bleach
ing, but all are capable Of having any color they
may possess, destroyed by chemical means, ss I
would not except the jute canvass or gunuy bag
beautiful silky white both plain and manufactured
into fabrics for furniture &c, as sho Rn by the late
Colonel Calvert at the East India House. As the
Chinese make paper Of rice straw, and Of the young
ropes Of different grasses (such as Saccharum Mum.
ia end SacchAIum Sara,) strong enough for their
Persian WI cells, as well as for towing lines it Is
evident that these aud probably many others con-
tain suf6ciency Of fbrous material for paper
tuned to much account, for their straw forms the
chief food for cattle; but as the country abounda
with grass jupgles, which are In the autumn oil
every year burnt down in order that the young
blades may spring mp and afford pastursge for cat
tie, it is evident that there arc many situations
where snficiency might be cut down before It has
become perfectly dried up, and converted into half
STUFF for paper makers.
OF the sedges, also, some are, in India, employed
for making ropes, as the Bhabhur or Eriophorum
Cannabuium, for making rope bridges for crossing
some of the hill torrents. The papyrus, we know,
was used BY the Egyptians for making their paper
but was BY cutting the material into thin slices
end making them adhere together under pressure
But others Of the genus, az the Cyperns legetum,
used in India for mat making. As these plants as
would be quite possible in many places 70 turn them
to profitable account.
Many pats Of the world abound in the lily and
a]teeaved plants which have been alluded to above,
and Of which the leaves contain much easily separa-
BILE fibrous materials. These belong to the genera
Agave, Aloe, Yucca, Sansiviera, Bromela, and
otntls, all of which abound in white colored bres
applicable to various useful purposes, and Of which
"a nod far ma EfpU and rNv1.