Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-03
Ne1u Fabrics

to tho manufacture and sale OF fibcrs
tho raw product
In 1918 spinning machinery was
So. up. and since then the spinnln :
OF yarn from these fIbers has bsCu
carried ON on an cyCr-incrcasinE scale
In tho eight years OF It's existence tho
products of this concern have cover
cd n wide range Of vegetable fiber
including China grass, Australian sea-
weed, iutc, old jutc rags and shoddy
worsted yarn A number Of others
were worked up during the war and
extensively used In the textile indus
try. Some OF these fibcrE were aban-
duuel after the war, owing to the fact
that tho supply in Germany was not
sufficient To warrant their permanent
use.
Cloth From Grass
Tho vegetable fiber derived from
China grass is known as Eolidonia. II
Is similar to ramic. which is known
and used in tho United states Tho
German fiber company. by means OF a
special process, produces "A long. fine
soft ana curly fiber II looks very
much like wool and mixes readily
with that product. thus opening a.
wide ficld Tor Its use in tho wooden IN
dustry. Solidoni1 gained a wide usn|
on account % shortage ot wool dur
ing the war. As q substitute fu'
linen. solidonil has been used in Ger
many FOR the manufacture Of tabio
linen OF beauty and strength. II has
also been used Tor machine beltinE
Hosiery mills and underwear mills
have produced from 1t stockinE5
which are difficult TO tear; unshrinE-
able underwear and sporting jackets
Of fine quality and strength.
The German wooden mills have
also manufactured an army cloth
D. ...#
and 25 per cent solidoniu, surunSsC-
1t is Inserted in tensile strength any
pure wool cloth Wpm.n'- clothluE
and mems clothing of half solidonia
and half wool or sh1ddy cloth Is like
wise proving highly successful.
Another fiber from which has
boon obtained splendid results" tho
Bureaus report continues, lis tho
fiber known as posidonia--aiso a
vegetable product. II ~ derived from
seawocd drcdgcd tn Australia and
washed in sweet water. Brought -
Germany. tho fiber is subjected TO "a
chemical treatment 90 soften II and
make u resilient. the original fibC-
being stiff and harsh
The staple OF this fiber is declare
10 be equal 20 a medium staplewool
and lt ls spun ON tho wprsted and
woolcn system. The fiber is char
actcrizcd by an elasticity and spring
mess hIln inc Cloln. WnlCh IL mao"
out OF pure posidonia appears TO show
scarcely any CrelscE. posidouia Is OK
pccted TO I'm a particularly large de-
m1ud in tho carpet industry.
The chief way in which jute is en-
ployCd in tho United states is I'm tho
form of cheap lining and burlap. This
German company has accomplished
some unusual results with iute. BY
special process Of chemical t-Aatmcnt.
"A long fiber has boon produced. which
can be spun into a pure fabric or
mixed with wool From the old iutn
rags tho company also rrntns o vnrd
bradc OF shoddy cloth, which II boinS
used with such amazing results in wur
mems costumes. ovcrCoats. and spprIs
Jackets that many experienced textile
mon have been unable TO tell II from
cloth %
Tho exhibit Of tho Bureau was
planned chiefly for the benefit OF AM
ericau textile makers, who have becn
much Interested in the German prod
ucts. lt German chemists can pro-
ducc materials from grass and sea-
weed and notifies. there is every rea-
son to believe that American chemists
can also. and thus. I'm time, perhaps
even thnt balcful plant. the true rag
weed, may be converted into a neat
and useful fabric.