THE SHORTAGE OF PAPER.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sps,—The question of the utilization of the bracken in the manufacture of paper raised by a correspondent in your issue of July 31st is a very important one. It can only be deter- mined by trial whether or no any given material is suitable for paper-manufacture. Such a trial must necessarily be expensive, necessitating the handling of a fairly large quantity of the new material—to ensure a typical sample paper—and the adjustment of mechanical and manipulative details, which may take some time for the operatives to accustom themselves to. If the new material prove satisfactory, the need for new and different machinery may be created. A paper-manu- facturer, in view of these facts, would probably not venture to put any newly suggested material to trial, except a very strong case could be made for it. In the bracken there is a large amount of non-fibrous, and therefore undesirable material, and this might cause waste—especially if the paper- pulp be treated chemically, which would be the case except a very inferior and non-durable paper were the aim. The method of chemical treatment—the colour of fern-fibres being due to other substances besides those that give the colour to wood-pulp—might have to be varied from the normal. These considerations might conceivably overweigh the undoubted cheapness of the raw material—I am, Sir, &c., E. M. C.
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