Flax in Paper-making.

Manawatu Herald, 6 May 1893, Page 2

Flax in Paper-making.

The Agent-General has been having a series of experiments made through Messrs Cowan, the wellknown paper merchants and manufacturers, as to the suitability of phorminm (enaa, tow for paper-making

The first experiments showed thai though the result was favourable as regards strength, it was found impossible to bleach it sufficiently to secure a product white enough to ; make a good white paper. ;Thefl£ j preliminary experiments were uHfe at the mills of Messrs Cross rol Bevan. The result "pointed to TO suitability for the manufacture of papers of a special kind, where ' strength and toughness are required, such as cap papers, high-class wrapping papers, and papers required to carry a quantity of pigment. Mr Charles Anderson, as a famous manufacturer of such papers, was then asked to assist, and, in cq^> junction with other makers of note, conducted further experiments, in the direction which the first results seemed to indicate. The final result was not so satisfactory as was hoped, the fibre haying been expected by the experts to yield a cleaner and stronger paper than it actually produced. ' It was found that the resultant paper was specky, and had not the great strength looked for. TSfljk manufacturers thought, however, that with perseverance, and better knowledge of what \was to them a new fibre,- better results might be shown, but the fibre wou'd require t> be obtainable in England at a very low pi •ice— Messrs Cowan's representative put it against jute, which is averaging from £4 to £5 a ton. If the result anticipated in consequence of the original laboratory tests ha<c( been realised the towmight have been worth from £8 to £10 per ton. The manufacturers were willing to conduct further tests, b ut as they f onnd the quantity first sent too atnall for exhaustive experiments, they consider that 5 to 10 ion» of tow will be required for the purpose The Agent* General has forwarded to the Government full details of the various experiments, and flAirmleft of the nnner nrodaced.