The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-27
CHI A. r L E S TON.
WEDNESDAY MORNING. JANUARY 27, 1869.
Esparto Grass-A New Crop for our Rice
cC-.; Fields.

L
| tCe.; Fields.
In the Esparto grass we are confident
that there has been found another new
means of adding to the strength and power
of the State. One more golden opportu-
nifty is given US of proving that, with this
glorious climate and this fertile soil, we
never aeed depend for our prosperity on
cotton and rice alone.
The Esparto grass Of which we speak is
already the successful rival Of rags, as q
material for the manufacture paper. 1t
is no more difficult to grow than rice or hay;
but it often brings in the market as much
Pas seventy dollars of our currency per ton.
The production of the grass has increased
with great rapidity, and it is now consumed
to the value of about one million Of dollars
monthly, on the continent and in Great
Britain. New mills are being erected and
fitted with machinery exclusively adapted
to its use, while old mills are changing
their machinery for the same purpose.
There is no doubt that its general adoption
is but question of time.
In the United States the Esparto grass is
as yet unknown; but the high price Of rags
and the failure of almost oil materisls,-e1-
cept, perhaps, maple wood,-used in their
stead for the manufacture of paper, which
hos now become one of the leading COM
meroial interests of the world, will soon
induce our quick witted Northern paper
manufacturers to try this new material
AS its name denotes, the Esparto grass
is of Spanish origin, being now extensively
grown in Spain, Portugal and the French
colonies in Africa. The questions for US
to settle are, whether it will prove profit
able crop, uud whether 1t can be grown in
South Carolina.
The cultivation of the Esparto is no
more difficult than that of hay, aud it brings
three times the price. There is, then, but
little doubt that it will be very profitable.
This is the first point to be determined, and
we ore sure that in this State it could be
grown with perfect success. The writer
has not only seen the Esparto taken frem
the bale and put through all the processes
of manufacture into fine printing aud wri-
ting papers, but he has also seen the grass
growing, and is confident that our climate
and soil will produce it at least as well as
the couutries.in which it is now cultivated.
The Esparto grass yields to the paper
maker nearly as much pulp as average rags
yield. It's no more difficult than rags to
work up, and in many respects, although
not all, it is to be preferred to them.
Thus, after two hundred years of expert
ment and the trial of thousand different
substances, just when the civilized world
feels its necessity the most. perfect sub
stitute for rags has been found, and will be
used wherever book is read and the art
of writing known.
1t is for us to determine whether the
Iberian peninsula and the North of Africa
shall be allowed to monopolize all the profit
of this new crop, or whether We who are
in the same latitude and enjoy more equa-
BILE climate shall take advantage of our sit
uation, and make South Carolina produce
the raw material to supply tho paper mills
of the United Safes, and perhaps of part
of Europe.
We do not believe that the prize will
escape our grasp, and we take pleasure in
informing our readers that some enterpris-
ing gentlemen in this city have already
sent to Spain and to Alg eria for the Es-
parto seed When it arrives, which it is
expected to do in time for planting this sea-
son, we will at once announce the fact. We
have now some samples of the Esparto seed
and Of pulp made from it. These may be
seen at the Office of The NEWS.