SUBSTITUTE FOR COTTON

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3878, 1 December 1928, Page 2

SUBSTITUTE FOR COTTON

FIBRE RESEMBLING FINE FLAX. Rugby, November 28. The discovery of a plant yielding a high percentage of fibre calculated to provide an alternative to cotton has created great interest in Lancashire, and ' the demand for specimens of the fibre have far exceeded the limits of the immediately available material, which is being cultivated in eastern English counties. Experts who have inspected specimens agree that if anything like an adequate production can be assured, the fibre should prove distinctly useful. “The “Manchester Guardian” says the fibre is of the best order, is lustrous, and in appearance resembles fine flax, while under the microscope it is almost indistinguishable from flax. It is reported that the dyeing of yarn formed by mixing the fibre with cotton presents no particular difficulty. Representatives of the large cotton interests of Lancashire, however, are awaiting more definite information regarding the prospects of production before further serious consideration of its commercial possibilities are undertaken. It is recognised, however, that the new fibre would have an advantage in that if successfully cultivated the raw material would be readable and would not be required to be picked or pulled.