Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-06-27
A NEW INDUSTRY.
THE OF BAGGING
FROM PINE LEAVES.
Process Employed-How the Pine
Needles are ObtaiDcd-Wcav-
ing the Fabric-Sourcc OF
the Leaf Supply.

the world the boundlcss resources of the
now South. We alludc to the manufac-
turc from the pine trees long leaves, or
"needlcs, of pine fibre for spinning and
weaving into baggng, mating, and many
other articles of commercial value.
Only green straw is used for bagging
Good sound, dry straw would answer the
purpose just us well, and make quite as
good bagging, but the green straw is pre-
fcrab!c. The raw material is furnished
by colorcd people principally, and if they
were allowed to rake up the dry straw
from the ground they would be likely to
mix foreign matter with it, or take straw
that WAS unsound. As to the source of
supply in North Carolina, where such
great quantities of pine timber are cut
yearly, all the stray necessary may be
stripped from the trees after they are
fellcd. This provides good livelihood
for tho colorcd people, rs one man and
his family, consisting of four or five chill
drcn, can gather 1900 pounds day, and
at fifteen cents per 100 pounds, which is
the price paid for the straw ut the mills,
this amounts to 1925. The straw can
also be stripped green from the standing
trees as high us twenty feet, by means OF
hooks to bend down the boughs. The
trees are not, however, entirely stripped
OF their leaves, but arc treated the same
as the ucnncquin plant, j. c., by pulling
Off first the oldest crop, which is the
lower: and leaving the younger, or
upper crop on the tree to
keep it alive until the next
years growth comes out still higher up.
This stripping of the under leaves does
not, like the turpentine business, affect
the life OF the tree, nor injurc the quality
Of the timber, for, if let alone, the under
crop would fall of when the new crop
made its appearance. From the sur
rounding country the straw is brought
i'll loose i'll OK carts and wagons, and the
company have also established small com
presses ut different points within radius
of forty miles, where they receive the
loose straw brought in by the natives,
and compress it into bales for greater
convenience of transportation.
We entered the first department of the
works, II one-story frame building goo
feet long by 100 feet wide, known as the
fibre mill. Here the leaves are put into
large watts and steamed down TO small
bulk and subjected to the action of chem
icals for twelve hours. After this the
ch.mlcal liquid is run off and the straw
subjected to series of what they call
''soakings," which occupies about ,hr.
ty-siX hours more. 1t is then ready for
the next operation, which consists OF
passing through rubbing machine, and
by continuous process the straw is
wrung, picked, cardcd and dried, com
ing ont i'll the shape of blanket or roll
of wadding, the finished pine fibre. This
continuous process, transforming the
straw wet and greasy from the watts into
a perfectly dry, light-coorcd, beautiful
ly woody fibre, is marvel of mechanical
skill and interest
We now follow the finished fibre as it
is conveyed in a car on Il light tramway
to the spinning and weaving mill Here
the fibre is first put over :. earder, for
the purpose merely of putting it into sill
yer or ribbon shape for conveyance to
the next nachinc, the drawing frame At
this point becomes apparent the great
advantage of working pine fibre as com
pared with jute. The pine fibre comes
to the spinning mill all ready for use,
whereas the jute butts must first go
through many operations, such as soften
ing, breaking, carding, etc.
On the drawing frame two or more arc
taken and drawn into one, so us to make
the yarn more equal in strength
throughout. The fibre next goes to a
rowing machine, after leaving which, part
of it is taken and spoiled for warp yarn
and part wound into copcs for the wool
The next and last process is the weaving
OF the fabric on regular jute looms, after
which calcndcring machine measures it
and presses it into less bulk for ship
mcnt.
There still remained one department
, of the factory to be visited, and We fol
lowed our guides to the second story OF
| the spinning mill. Here were rows Of
machinery OF Il finer and more compli-
Gated structure standing idle owing to
the great demand for cotton ba@ging.
Evidences of the capacity of this depart
inent were, however, not wanting.
Hanks of yarn of varied ard brilliant
hues hung from the walls OH ali sides,
and number of handsome specimens of
colorcd mattings, suitable for churches,
stores, offices, and, in fact, all purposes,
| were shown us, conclusively demonstrate
ing the ability of the company to supply
the trade in this line when they are re.
licved of the present drain upon then
capacity in other directions These
| specimens also proved that the brow,
pine fibre Is susceptible of bleaching to 8
| fine cream color, and takes readily dive.
of various shades, which make up in at.
tractivc patterns.
For every foot of merchantab,c pinc
timber there are at least two pounds o
pine needles, and eight pounds of needle
make one yard of two-pound bagging
That is to say, every four feet OF mer
chantablc pine timber will yield stra,
enough for one yard OF baggng. Sine
tic company commenced operations the
have received, from within radius o
four miles, II 42S, 900 pounds of pin
straw, capable Of making $500, 900 yard
of two-pound baSging, and this is con
sidered a poor section Of the country i