The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-02
PALMETTO AND ITS USES.
SOME VALUABLE AND INTEREST
ING FACTS CONCERNISG IT.

Various Articles Made Of the Pal
metto Fiber-The Gradual Growth Of
the Manufacture of Palmetto Fiber
Articles-The Acid Obtained From
Palmetto Good for Tanning Other
Facts Worth Knowing.
FERNANDINA, FLA, Jan. 3l.-The an
nual crop of palmetto, which extends from
Newbern, N. c., on the Atlantic coast
southwark to Key West and along the
shores Of the gulf to Texas, has always
been an interesting topic for newspaper ar
ticles. 1t is, however, of far greater inter-
est to the owners and cultivators of the
land on which it grows.
For years it has been considered an I'M
nitigated nuisance. especially the several
varieties of the saw palmetto. 1t has rem
dered the land worthless, and almost every
conceivable means has been resorted to to
kill it out. II has been burned annually,
but up it comes as thrifty and
green as ever all over the burned
tract. 1t has been cut up and dug
up, root and branch, yet it still is tn ere
after hundreds OF years OF such treatment.
No worm or insect or blight from any
source seems to affect it in the least.
History does not inform us when it was
first utilized for brooms, brushes and roof
coverings. IL lUds before history 1oGs.
The crop has been, is now. and ever will
be simply enormous. 1t can only be esti-
mated oy the millions or tons. 1t is there
without cultivation and in spite Of every
thing.
The plant, root. branch and leaf seem to
be aud are simply bundle of fiber, and not
only that, but it is one of the best fibers and
capable of the most uses of any fiber
known.
1t is not an annual, but an ever pres
ent, eternal growth. 1t Is always ready.
Summer or winter, spring or fall, night or
day, any quantity of equally good palmetto
can be harvested.
WHAT PATENT OFFICE RECORDS SHOW.
These facts have ever been stimulants,
whenever known, and the records of the
| patent office show hundreds of inventions
| of methods and machines with which to
make the fiber practically available. And
where the patent Office shows one effort,
many have been made which never rose
| above a newspaper notice. Considering
these hundreds of failures and their re-
| sultant losses to eanguine investors, it Is
not strange that the public has lost conf
dence in any reputed value which this crop
may seem to have under the most promis-
ing appearances. Nor is it at oil to be Won
| dered at, when a person discovers some
thing in the palmetto and attempts to make
1t valuable, that he should begin to figure
on his profits from the extent of the crop.
and to spread his claim over more ground
| than he can cover.
There have lately been several articles
| illustrating this in the Savannah, Atlanta
and St Augustine papers | cannot in a
short newspaper article cover all points
but will speak of some principles which
ought to guide an investor in any branch of
the palmetto business
| / have seen palmetto fiber whose produce
ton cost over SIS per pound, and it was
worth probably so cents or less. One COM
| pany has expended over $500, 900 in making
| a paper pulp which cost more than cents
| per pound and was worth about 4
cents. Other instances exist where the
cost was not carefully calcu~
lated. There is fannie acid, which
| abouuds in the palmetto stem, leaf and
root, and NAV be easily extracted. 1t will
tan leather quicker, by many months, than
oak and hemlock, and on that basis many
| are ready to say at once that 1t would
supersede the OLD materials; that oak banks
and hemlock barks are antiquated, and that
| now leather can be tanned in as many days
as it took months heretofore. This looks all
| right. Some years since the writer tanned
hides in few hours with chronic acid
| which tans quicker than fannie acid, aud
| yet the process was a failure, from bust
| ness point of view. Why? Because when
| chronic or fannie acid is used for tanning
it does not add to the weight Of the leather
| But when oak or hemlock is used, two
| pounds or more are added to the weight of
| every side OF leather. Now, when leather
is 81 and over per pound, fannie acid is ex-
| cluded and oak and hemlock bark are
retained.
NOT A NEW DISCOVERY.
The discovery of tannic acid in palmetto
| is by no means new. 1t has been known for
a long time. 1t is n side product in many
instances, and may be produced very
cheaply. 1t is true that there are some
kinds of leather which may be tanned by
| it, but the use OF chronic acid in Germany
and other places has thus far prevented an
extensive trade Ia tannic acid.
All these efforts, and many in other direc-
| tions, are beginning to bring about legiti-
| mate results, and the fiber from palmetto is
finding its place in the commercial world.
| Quite a number or plants for the manu-
| facture OF various articles from palmetto
| have been established in different parts of
the country, and are now doing a thrifty
business. Some are Incorporated and have
ample capital. More. on a larger basis, are
contemplated, and, doubtless, in a very few
years the manufacturing companies depend
ing on palmetto will be second only to those
now depending on cotton and wool. They
| Will dOt tuo COdSb lTOn INbWOeEu 10 Lu6 MO
| Grande.
The following are some of the more i'm
portant articles now manufactured for the
trade:
| MATTRESS MATERIAL.
Several years since Mr. Benedict began at
| Orange Park the manufacture of mattress
material from the leaves OF the palmetto.
| Another factory was established at Day.
ton; also one at Fulton, at Fernandina and
| other places But the abundance of pal
metto on the south coast of the Mediterra-
mean, and the cheap labor of the Moors,
Arabs and negroes, reduced the price of the
| imported article, under the name of African
fiber. SO low that but very little is now
made in this country, while thousands of
tons are imported. However, later i'm
| provements in machinery seem to bid fair
| to recover some of the lost trade.
BRUSH FIBER.
The manufacture of brush fiber from the
cabbage palmetto has become an extensive
business. The Tropical Fiber Company of
Jacksonville. Fla, is turning out a first
class brush fiber by the ton. The company
is Incorporated and is doing good business.
sALAsEE BRUSH FIBER.
This brush fibe- is made of the saw pal
metto by the Loomis Manufacturing Com
pany of Fernandina, Fla. This article is a
| valuable addition TO the list of tibers in the
hands Of brushmakers.
PAPER