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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 6

5. Indian Forest Fibres.—

5. Indian Forest Fibres.—

The important collection of Indian forest products transmitted to Kew by the Indian Forest Department (see Kew Report, 1878, p. 50) included an extensive series of bark fibres. Specimens of all these were placed in the hands of Mr. Routledge, of the Ford Works, Sunderland, to whom Kew is under constant obligation for information and assistance in connection with the paper manufacture. He was good enough to test them all as regards their yield when converted into rough (paper) stock, and he has furnished us with the following report:—
Green Yield. Bleached.
Per cent. Per cent.
1. Bauhinia Vahlii; excellent strong fibre; hemp character and tough 60 54.7
2. Bombax malabarica; coarse, harsh, woody; tender and short, bleached 48 37.5
3. Butea frondosa; very coarse and woody; rotten and short, bleached 56.25 37.5
4. Careya arborea; coarse, rather harsh and woody; somewhat tender, bleached 47 45.3
5. Eriolæna Hookeriana; very strong but harsh; better felting properly than 8 to 12 50 42.8
6. Ficus benyalensis; fairly strong and fibrous; rather tender, bleached 61 54.7
7. Ficus infectoria; good, strong, and fibrous; fair quality, bleached 51.7 51.5
8. Grewia tiliæfolia; strong harsh, wiry, hard; same bleached 50 43.7
9. Helicteres Isora; very strong, green; better than 8 and 10 to 12 bleached 68.8 61
10. Stercalia colorata; similar to 8 and 11; harsh and wiry 60.7 59
11. Sterculia wrens; similar to 7; rather better 59.3 47
12. Sterculia villosa; similar to 8, 10, and 11 60 51.5
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Of these fibres, No. 1 is decidedly best, possessing the characteristics of strong linen rags, i.e., of coarse flax and hemp; the raw bark is worth 7l. to 8l., possibly 9l., per ton; the bleached stock 20l. to 22l.

"No. 7 is the next best bark, worth 6l. to 7l. per ton raw. None of the others are of much value for white papers, excepting, perhaps, Nos. 5 and 9; say 5l. to 7l. for No. 5, and 5l. to 6l. for No. 9. It would, however, be necessary to make a practical working trial, that is, to make paper from all of them (excepting No. 1) before pronouncing positively as to value. No. 1 I believe fully worth what I have appraised it at."

"All of these raw barks required a very large dose of bleach to bring them to even the low colour they are. No doubt opening them out by willowing or teasing them, both before and after boiling, would materially improve them. I do not consider, with the exception of Nos. 1 and 7, it would pay to import them from India."