The San Francisco call., 1906-12-25
NEW LINEN P[ANT I
IS DISCOVERED

The linen industry of the world may
possibly be revolutionized by the dis
covery and development of linen
plant indigenous to Brazil and some of
the great fertile plans of South Amer
the great fertile plains of South Amer
hamo braziliensis perini' or Brazilian
linen." 1t is named for it's discoverer
Dr. Victorio Antonio de Perini, and it's
practical development is now being eff
fected upon several experimental plan
tations, the most notable of which is
at Boa Vista in the state of Rio
de Janeiro. The development was COM
menced with the assistance of the state
government and has continued to a
point where it may be stated without
question that the fiber is success and
that it's influence will be felt at once
in the fabric world. The product of
the plantations now established has
been contracted for by British inter
ests at a very profitable rate. One of
the plantations established includes an
area of 100000 square meters of the
growing plants of Dodeiro, and tlse one
at Boa Vista will soon have over ..000,-
900 square meters.
The Canhamo braziliensis perini is
virtually weed growing from twelve
to eighteen feet high in four or five
months, resembling in general appear
ance the hemp. The special advantages
of this Brazilian fiber over European
linen and other similar plants claimed
by those interested in it's cultivation
are:
"a 1t is absolutely hardy. resisting
alike the dry rainy season, bearing
equally we'll in dry or wet soil, and not
prey to insects or mildew.
CD No care or special cultivation is
required after planting.
CD The plant natures so rapidly that
crop can be gathered three months
after sowing-that is. three crops a
year can be had.
(4) Its general nature is such and
the qualities above enumerated are
such that it can be grown upon what
are now vast tracts of practically waste
land with comparatively little outlay
Of capital.
(5) The fiber has all the necessary
qualities required for high class use
viz, strength, fneness, fextbility and
adaptability for bleaching or dyeing.
Co Every portion of the plant can
be used for some Industrial purpose
AS to its strength, the following re-
suits of repeated and careful expert
ments had with threads of equal thick
ness VIII prove interesting Linen
broke when the weight attached,
reached 4 kilos (2.2 pounds); European
hemp broke when the weight attached
reached 10 kilos; Canhamo braziliensis
fiber A broke when weight attached
reached kilos: fiber B broke at 10
kilos and fiber c broke at IL kilos.
The growers of the plant claim that
every particle of it can be used for
valuable purposes. The finest fiber
runs generally into three grades, the
finest of which corresponds to the best
linen, the second to coarse linen and
the fiber of the plant therefore come
both fine linen and strong rope. The
residue of the plant is composed of
high grade cellulose, said to be espe-
cially suitable for the manufacture of
fine writing paper, the whiteness and
clearness of the stem of the plant SIM
plifying the process of manufacture.
The fiber is adapted to dyeing and
bleaching The dyed samples have a
luster and silky appearance.
The demand for the waste material
of this plant for paper making will be
steady At present all but coarse
wrapping paper is imported, and the
imports will exceed $3,300,000 annu-
ally. White paper is not made in Bra
zil, owing to lack of suitable mate
rial. So far most of the planting of
the Canhamo braziliensis perini has
been for seed, the promoters extending
their paintings as rapidly as ground
could be secured, cleared, and seed pro-
duced for the planting. Machinery for
the treatment OF the plant for the ex-
traction of the fiber has been imported
from Europe. the plows, reapers and
similar machinery and pumps and
hydraulic machiney coming from Eng
land, while the crushing, combing and
other machinery comes from Belfast,
although constructed on Belgian mod
els. Present plans contemplate only
the production of the raw fiber for ex-
port, although the ultimate result may
be great manufacturing enterprise
when labor and commercial conditions
in Brazil will Justify the venture
The production of fiber from the
Canhamo braziliensis perini has just
been patented In the United States.
whether the plant can be grown to ad-
vantage In the southerly portion and
Pacific Coast regions Of America free
from frost is not known. The matter
merits the investigation of the agri-
cultural and industrial authorities.-
Consular Report.
The dead beat parsou viii have
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