The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-02-09
ANorHnR PAPnR. sroorx.

Once Rgain. as we. learn from an ar
ticls in . recent issue OF The Los An
geles Times. there is promise Of a new
material from which to manufacture
white paper. This is what is known
as "aifa grass" which grows plentiful
~ in certain African deserts. and of
which the noted traveller. Frank q.
Carpenter. thus writes from point in
the great Sahara desert:
have been passing through a great
plain of yellow. sandy soil, covered
here and there with stones and spotted
everywhere with punches OF the dry
The alfa was growing right in the
sands. It is . long. why grass. which
is gathered by the thousands Of tons
and shipped to Europe for the making
Of paper. i ls cut by the Arabs. and
capital which handle It 1t grows to
the height of my waist, in punches,
some Of which are not bigger than
ones INST, while others sprout out of
measure. IL looks tough and dry, but
nevertheless large nocks of sheep.
goats and camelP feed upon it
This brief statement gives promise
Of what may be hoped for, and even ex-
pected in the not distant future. The
immediate Importance of this discov-
cry lies in the fact that it is thought.
or believed. rather, that the alta grass
will grow and thrive on the arid lands
Of California, and steps have already
bean taken to give it fair test. For
this purpose three sacks of the seed
imported from Africa by the Depart
msnt of Agriculture. have been re-
ceived at Los Angeles. and these seed
will be planted and carefully attended.
so that IT may be decided by actual
tests If the deserts and climate of
Southern California are adapted TO the
profitable growth Of the African plant.
In addition to what Mr.. Carpenter says
The Los Angeles Times adds:
The leaves of the alta grass are from
eighteen inches to two feet In length.
They have the popularity Of breaking
Off at the base. 50 that they are gath
cred by the exertion of q steady pull,
after which they are sorted according
to their color and length, and tied in
bundles for expectation. About $1,000
600 worth of the grass is exported an
nually from Algeria, and the constant
ly increasing shortage OF raw material
for the manufacture OF paper makes
permanent field for the crop.
Mr.. Conrad is certain that on the
higher lands Of the Coachella and I'M
perial valleys. at present non-irrigable,
the alta grass will prove profitable
crop. He believes that the cost Of
gathering the grass-which is plucked
by hand in the African desert-win be
greatly lessened IL 1t proves a good
desert crop here, by the invention of
abor-saying machinery.
1t is easy TO see what this means to
the paper makers and consumers of the
future II all that is claimed and hoped
for it shall be verified. The seed re-
ceived at Los Angeles are to be plant
ed and tested at three different loca-
lions, so that the alta may have a fair
trial and if it succeeds in either or all
the localities there will be no reason to
doubt its Importance. Much of the
arid portions OF California is not. or
has not been, adapted to cultivation
OF any kind, but II this grass succeeds
IL will not only add profitable indus
try to sections where little is now
grown but may help to solve the acute
problem Of finding cheaper paper stock