The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-27
TO BEAT THE PAPER TRUST,
The InexhsustibIcs Scrub Palmetto May
Rival Wood Pulp.
1From the Savannah News.)

(From the Savannah News)
The saw palmetto, or "sabal serru-
Iate,'' as the scientists call 1t, is indigo
nous TO the soil OF South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama. Mississippi
and Louisiana, In the tidewater sections
and just beyond, 1t Is an extremely
hardy and vigorous growth. Once Its
roots are set In a soil they can be re-
moved only by the most industrious and
thorough grubbing, In very many
places the palmetto scrub covers whole
FLATS of many acres with an almost Inn
passaple berrier OF tangled underground.
Until within the very recent past the
saw palmetto has been looked upon as
an unmitlgated nuisance. The cost Of
clearing an acre Of land OF the growth
was often much greater than the price Of
dozen acres OF the rough. Lately how
ever, the plant has been receiving more
consideration. 1t has been discovered
that the saw palmetto is both q source
OF health and OF wealth, and the proba-
future 1t will be added largely to the
prosperity Of these sections which form
erly cut 1t down and cast 1t into the tire.
The medicinal properties Of il have been
found very valuable In the treatment
of kidney and other troubles, and vari-
GUS proprietary medicines manufactured
from the saw palmetto are now finding
their way into the markets.
Tho roots are rich in tannic acid. Sew
eraI factories for extracting the acid are
already In operation in Florida. and oti-
ers are projected. Leather tanned with
acid from the Palmetto is said to be
equal, II not supe rior, TO the best oak or
hemIock- tanned stock. AS the palmetto
costs hardly more than the gathering,
acid from IL can be produced at less cost
than from any other source. The market
for 1t, Therefore, is safe. For manufac-
turing such articles as baskets, mats,
hats, etc., Ii would seem that there ought
to be great field for the palmetto. It
was extensively made use OF during the
war OF secession by the women OF the
south in making such articles, and 1t Is
safe to say that thousands OF the articles
made then are in serviceaDle condition
today, so durable is the material.
One OF the most important uses for
Wnlcna bnS saw pdllnttbO Is available,
however, Is the making of paper. In va
rious parts OF Asia, 10 Is said, paper has
been made from this stock for many
years, and so oheaply that not even our
wood pulp paper has been able to COM
pete with It, Lately factory for max
| ing paper from the saw palmetto has
been established at Pensacola, and it's
product is said TO be very good In quality
and strong in texture. There Is a great
and increasing demand for satisfactory
su bstitute for wood pulp In paper max
| Ing. The forests are being rapidly de-
nuded, without adequate steps for
their reproduction being taken. Besides,
the wood pulp business Is now controlled
by gigantic trust. which is In a posi-
| ton to squeeze consumers at Will. The
almetto fats would furnish an inex-
haustible supply of paper stock. since 30
long as the roots are In the ground the
tops will be alb lndantIy reproduced.
The tops may be cut OF every year with
the positive assurance that another full
crop will be forthcoming the next season.
Harvesting palmetto for papsr manu-
facture does not destroy the producing
stock. John ii. Stephens OF Jackson
Wills Is authority for the statement that
the saw palmetto will make the FINEST
and best paper in the world = That ba-
ing true. we ought TO have paper mills
In many parts OF south Georgia and Flor
| ida within a few years.