The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-08-24
BAST FIBERS.
THE UNCUL TIYATED ONES OF THE UNITED
STATES.
The u. S. Department of Agriculture Issue
Something Yer/ Interesting on Fiber
Culture.
CoITON-STALK FIBER.

~ >'t'o-f VI ooutpShh
egricultnre.. Tossypium hcrGaceum,
also belongs to the MairaccG, and it
may not be known, generally, that its
stalks contain fiber of good quality.
In the collection oftibcrs sent to tho
Paris EXPEDITION of 1889 was n fine e4-
ample of the fiber of the cotton stalk,
from plant grown BY Rev, !. b. Cor
| don, of Georgia, prepared by the
American Consolidated Fiber Com
pany. from n green stalk, sixty days
from date of planting. In the letter
transmitting the specimen il was stated
that ''the tihor is not only good for
thread, but for thousand other pur-
poses; it is splendid fiber for paper
also, rs it will not tear rs easily rs that
made from wood pulp or rags"
There is no doubt that this fiber
would make an admirable twine, though
it's use in thread" is somewhat over
stated. 1t Possesses fair strength,
, spe ecimcns | have examined by hand
tests appearing somewhat stronger than
jute. The fiber of old stalks that
have stood in the field is of varying
shades of russct IN coiar, wi,iiu that
from fresh stalks is n yellow white.
The antagonism ofthc farmers of the
South to the jutc trust, in 1890, called
renewed attention to unutiliZed south
crn tibcrs for the manufacture of bag
ging with which to bale tho cotton
crop, the price of bugging having been
advanced from to II cents per yard.
Various tibcrs were suggested as sub
stitutcs for the India product, and
among them the bast OF cotton stalks,
which, it was claimed, could be supplied
"lrom the $4,000, 900 acres of cotton
fields iii cultivation in the South.
Among those who experimental with
this fiber in manufacture was
William j.. Jackson, OF Augusta. Ga,
who gave considerable attention to the
enterprise, II company having been or
gamizcd to carry on the work Accord
ing to statements made by Mr.. Jack
son, the fiber was separated "on ma
chine which was patented and perfect
ed for South American fiber oxperi-
mcnts," the namo of the inventor not
having been given. The principle coli
sisted in running the bxst between q
corrugated drum revolved by An &C.
centric attachment on Il similarly cor
ruSated concnv"F 81, the charge be-
tween being wni'T'''u 6y n flowing stream
Of water to wash away the residue of
gum and bark.
No statements wcrc made as to the
method OF harvesting the stalk, al
though the sample of fiber submitted
was said to have been made from stalks
that had been gathered late i'll Febru
AIRY, after exposure to the weather for
several months. The fiber produced
rom these stalks was sent to j. G.
r0dd, of Paterson, n. j., for manu-
fnrturc, few yards having been pre-
pared eXr"rimcntally. During visit
to the factory in Pntrrson,n few months
Inter, | was allie to secure from the
loom whence it was made small
specimen of the Tagging, which is pre-
served in the collection of the Depart
mcnt. The fiber, which showed fair
strength, was reddish in color, or
bright russell, though the sample ex-
hibitcd at Paris approached nearer to
straw color.
Naturally the proposed new industry
created considerable interest in the
South, and the prediction was made
that when properly developed it would
become source of great wealth to the
Southern people. 1t was proposed to
place the dccorticating machines III
sections of the country convenient to
the bngging mills, that the fiber might
be prepared, balcd, and shipped as
economically rs possible. 1T was also
claimed that the water or steam power
employed in running the gins could be
used to operate the fibre machines.
Like many other similar enterprises,
the Anticipated results were not re-
allied, whether through the failure of
the dccorticnting machine to turn out
the fiber ut economical cost, or for
other reasons, can not he stated. | do
not think that the machine question
was altogether at the bottom of the
difficulty, considering the kind of raw
material that the machines were ex-
pcctcd to work upon. A machine
constructed to operate upon straight,
clean stalks half an inch or more in
diameter, grown rapidly and close to.
gcthcr in the field, like hemp stalks,
could hardly he expected to work
smoothly upon 'hc rough, irrcgularly
shaped branches and often crooked
matcrinl That would be yielded 10y cot
ton plants grown primarily for lint
cotton. am Of the opinion that the
harvesting Of such rough and uneven
material could not be accomplished nt
economical cost, even If such stalks or
branches could be successfully cleaned.
In recent letter nm informed that
the enterprise has not been altogether
Abandoned, though nothing hns been
accomplished for several years, so fur
ns | can learn.
Gro be continucd.)
6nOHcr Big TG,Jcr SAFE