The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-24
THE PINE STRAW INDUSTRY.
What the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture Says About 1t.

What the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture Says About 1t.
In the MORNING NEWS two weeks ago
appeared an interview with Mr.. C. Menelas,
the well known cotton exporter, on the pine
straw industry. In that interview Mr.
Menelas stated that he had addressed a
letter Of inquiry to the commissioner Of
agriculture as to the possibilities of the
pine straw as an element of commercial i'm
portance, reply to which inquiry he
would give to the public on its receipt.
A MORNING NEWS reporter called on Mr.
Menelas yesterday to learn il he had re-
ceived any response to his letter. Mr..
Menelas, who takes a decided interest il
anything tending to advance southern in
dustries. and especially the pine straw fiber,
which he thinks has unlimited possibilities
for new Industries in the south, expressed
his satisfaction that the MORNING NEWS is
taking an interest in the researches into
the pine straw as an article of commercial
importance in this section.
II have received" he said, "a letter ad-
dressed TO me by Hon. Norman J. Colman,
United States commissioner of agriculture,
on this subject, and emanating from so
eminent an authority it, cannot but attract
universal attention, and will have tend.
ency to dispel all doubts as TO the practical
bility Of utilizing the pine straw fiber. 1t
will inspire a hope and confidence all over
the south, and finally act as a vigorous
stimulant to action such as is justified by
the facts before US.
The letter to which Mr.. Me nelas ailudes
is as follows
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 10. 1888
c. Meneids, Esq, Savannah, Ga:
DEAR SIR am in receipt ofeyour letter Of
the 18th inst, relative to the uses of pine leaf
straw. and to your inquiry as to its manufac,-
ure abroad, can only say that am not aware
that IL has been utilized in the older countries
to a commercial extent for any other purpose
than TO extract its empyreumatic oil for medi.
| cal and other uses although. some twelve years
since. samples from Germany OF a soft fabric
| resembling flannel, were exhibited In the
| museum Of this department. In this coun-
| try its use was recently commenced on a com
| mercial scale for tie manufacture Of substi-
tute for iute bagging, to relieve the south from
| the burden attempted to be placed upon IL by
| the organization Of a Jute baggtng trust. At
the present time only the leaves of the long leaf
| pine are employed, although white and pitch
! pine straw is equally as available. Its largest
| use will be in the manufacture of bagging
| FOR covering cotton bales, and win
therefore come in competition with
| jute 1t can also be made into carpets, mating
| and perhaps finer fabrics, and the fiber, In its
| unmanufactured state. is declared by physicians
| 10 be most vauable agent IN the treatment of
| simple and compound fractures. surgical dress
| ing after operations and suppuration Of wounds
| its aromatic odor driving away flies. etc. The
needles are gathered green, and the first process
I Is 20 Thoroughly steam them, The vapOr going
| through pipes into dstiilery worm, where il is
condensed the result giving an oil. which is very
| valuable. being used for both internal and ex
| ternnl application. as well as for many uedici.
| nal purposes.
After the oil has been extracted the pine straw,
which has now become deep black, Is placed
in large iron yats with water and alkaIi. aud
| thoroughly boiled this process being necessary
| to remove the silica which forms the outer GOV.
| ering Of the leaf The silica which is removed
| is useful for tanning aud other purposes Dur.
/ tr- al ~ lr.t,x tnay Nlp laaf
retains us aroma. The las: boiling process
| continues for twelve hours, after which tie
straw is soaked for fortyegrt hours more
! when it is ready for the machinery.
| There is little doubt In my mind but that IL
| viii eventually become very important in.
! dustry u this country. I: has been feared by
| some VINO are patrioticai.y interested In the
preservation Of our forests. that the Of these
| leaves for manufacturing woa.d lead to the de.
| foliation OF our forests and hasten the expIl.
sion OF the lor g.!eaveG pine rom its present re.
| gion OF growth. do not share in these fears,
! which are based on the allegation thai the
| leaves CT the young trees only must be E:S6ed
| for the parpose. and 40 rot appear 10 ne &c be
well founded; for such necessity is
not yet an established fact. ard may never be.
| inRsnuch as the family OF pree drop the-
leaves every third year. and the new leaves
which follow are precisely similar TO those OF
| the young trees. except II may be In their
| length,
! When the immense areas OF these pines are
! considered, this fear becomes less likely to be
| realized These areas in the southern part of
| the Atlantic forest region are measured by more
| than 100000 square miles For instance North
| Carolina has an area OF about $4,000 square
miles South Carolina about :, 900 Georgia 10 600
! Alabama $4,000. the eastern gulf region 5000.
/ Louisiana and Texas also have large areas, aud
| there Is a large region OF long.leaved pine west
| OF the Mississippi
These immense areas are annually invaded
| for timber as well as for the manufacture OF
turpentine, roSln. etc, to an extent which, In
| the aggregate far exceeds the common belief,
| aud IL is fairly probable that the leaves OF the
trees felled for this purpose will be utilized for
| the new industry, in preference to the standing
timber, as being more accessible and more
| cheapy gathered. than 10 penetrate the dense
| forest TO defoiiate the young trees Forest OK.
| perts do not share these fears OF the effects on