Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-08-03
A NEW TEXTILE FIBER.

In consideration of the high price at
which all varieties Of textile fabrics are
now held, it is important that the mate
rials from which such fabrics are made
should be increased in quantity. Cotton
Is almost out of market Until the war
is ended, and the question at issue decided
promptly, we cannot count upon another
crop with any certainty whatever Flax
is beginning to come into the market to
some extent, and factories to spin and 9TH
erwise work it up into wearing apparel
are springing ny in various parts of the
land, The machinery required for this
branch of industry is in great demand,
and we hope ere long to see some substan-
tial evidence of energy and enterprise in
the shape of cheap. durable, and elegant
linens. There is always demand, how
ever, for coarse, heavy. and strong bagging
or crash. This has hitherto been supplied
from the overlooking abundance of the
cotton. crop. but that being cut off and
foreign materials being also high, it is
necessary to look about for some addition
to the list of abers from which heavy
sacking can be Made Such fiber has
been discovered in the husk of the maize
plant, or indian corn which is grown in
such abundance in this country. The
husk which envelopes the ear is now used
to great extent in Austria for making
paper. Immense quantities are made and
the quality is said BY competent judges to
be equal to the best rag paper ever manu-
featured. 1t is in the process of obtain
ing the paper stock from the corn-husk
that the fibre is set free. Neither arc in
jured but are separate and distinct pro-
ducts of the wonderful plant. The fab
rio which is woven from this fbre is i'm
mensely strong Cordage is made from it
and it bears some resemblance in color to
the cocoa-6ber. Although far inferior to
it in strength it is much superior in poirt
of softncss and elasticity. Some samples
of cloth we have seen woven from this f.
Der would make excellent towelpg or
"crash" for covering carpeting tits also
valuable for making enameled cloth, or
oil-cloth, and it takes any coating applied
to it readily and retains it firmly. Spec
linens of enameled cloth made on this fab
ric as base are equal to the best English
cloths. The very general interest which
attaches to the discovery of new mate
rial which Can be used in the arts should
lead manufacturers to look into this sub
ject. 1t is in this state an Austrian dis
covery, and is a valuable one 1hous-
ands of yards of cloth made from this
fiber alone $50 we are assured on the au.
thority of the Austrian Consul, Charles
F. Loosely, Esq, of this city,, have been
shown US by the gentleman named. Sam
Piles can be seen at this Office
1t will be seen that in addition to the
paper stock, the husk of the indian-corn
is capable of producing marketable fiber
and still retain its value as cattle. fodder
for in these processes the DEMONSTRATING
element is not lost but obtained in al its
purity. The methods of weaving and of
freeing the fiber from its vegetable envel-
ope are not completed, nor is the expense
great, and we are confident that good re-
suits will follow an immediate investiga-
ton of this ubject.-Scientitic Americun.
70