The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-07-02

transplanted fin a very large measure
the manufacture OF furniture 70 the
Southern States.
With the exception OF Grand Rapids.
Michigan. Greensboro and High Point
are acknowledged TO be the furniture
manufacturing center Of the United
States.
Fifty OF more factories IN East Liv-
erpooI. Ohio and at Trenton. y. J.
have for some years past drawn from
western North carolina. the raw ma
terial CKaolin) from which IS manu-
featured large quantities Of China and
Earthen ware.
Almost every section or the south,
and Of her Individual states, has
made greater progress and develop
ment than those sections In when
are located the low. or what is gen
orally termed. swamp lands. these
lands. from an agricultural stand
point. being practically without value
and are offered for sale In most OF
the Southern states at prices ranging
from s2.0C to $500 per acre. and yet
upon these same lands IL growing wild
and uncultfvated. the same rush.
~("Juncus Efesus") from which Is
manufactured in China and Japan the
mating So extensively used in almost
every American home. To give some
idea as t. the quantity imported into
the United States from China and
J2uaD dUTlnk the ear EBB w AiAd
recorded in bureau Of statistics, page
2e1. the enormous sum OF 47.983. 3l7
square yards, representing a money
value Of $4,000, 0SS.
There Il a growing interest in this
State relative to the rush now grow
ing wild and without cultivation IN
Lar ge quantities in North Carolina.
which is used in China and Japan in
weaving mating. The use OF this
t,,a tffnr f2 not confined fn the SDHth.
or to any section. but is one ~ the
most extensively used articles Of floor
covering now being made
only a few years have elapsed since
the matttngs used were dyed and
woven BY hand from the rush IN lt7
natural state. but with the era ~ pro-
gressive achievements OF recent years
this article is now being woven in
the most beautiful and artistic pat
terms ana designs. largely the result
Of the American artist IN the Orient.
whose study Of the American people
and their tastes has produced a de-
mand for ornamental designs 10 a
large extent. at least in certain acc
tons where the better grades Of mat
ting arc used. which rs, az a rule, IN
the larger cities.
When uattinRs first came into use
as a floor covering there were certain
seasons IN which the sale ~ II VAS
very limited In tn Northern and
-
Eastern states most Of the mattings
used were purchased BY the con
sumner in the spring Of the year. and
while this same rule applied to the
southern states. IL vas not 30 gen
eral, and the purchases made III the
fall OF the year BY the were
a.npl~ TO Justify the dealer In the
larger cities 10 carry a moderately
large stock continually on hand 70 meet
the demands ~ the trade.
in more recent years the conditions
mand BY the trade for mating 20
regular that the retail MERCHANT =
obliged to carry a large stock on hand
all the year through. This change
is naturally due to n great extent .
the Industrial development and pros
perity Of the country. which ha2 made
II possible for many 10 use floor Gov
erings who In past years could no,
afford such Iuxuries.
Why should North Carolina manu-
facture this article?
Because her natural advantages are
such that she cannot afford not 10 DO
so. on her soil IS now growing Wild
and going to waste each year enough
raw material In this rush" to supply
the entire demand OF the United
which Isl less han the present de-
mands. as China and Japan nave not
been able to fill the orders received
from this country. And while the
United States used more than $500
088 worth OF imported mattings last
year. a number Of orders sent abroad
during the same year were never filled
an |. as a result. the exact amount uAd
in this country CANNOT be estinatea-