Esparto, straw and wood cellulose.—Bluish violet.
Mechanical wood, unbleached jute.—Yellow.
Manila hemp.—Blue, bluish grey to yellow.
[CHAPTER IV]
ESPARTO AND STRAW
Esparto Papers.
The value of Esparto for the manufacture of high-class printing and medium quality writing paper is well known. This material has qualities which cannot readily be obtained from other fibres, such as rag and wood pulp. It is chiefly used in papers required for lithographic printing, books, and art illustration, since it gives a sheet having a good surface and one which is soft and flexible.
The grass is obtained from Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunis, and Tripoli, in which countries it grows wild, requiring very little cultivation. The condition of the crop is improved by proper treatment, and in districts where the grass is cut for export as a paper-making material attention is given to cultivation.
The plant grows to a height of three or four feet, and when mature the long blades of grass curl up into the form of a cylinder resembling a piece of wire. The leaf consists of two parts, the stalk and a sheath, which are easily separated when harvested. The grass is pulled up by hand and stacked into heaps in order that it may be dried by the heat of the sun, after which process it is carefully picked over for the removal of all extraneous matter and impurities. It is then graded, the best sorts being kept for weaving, and the remainder being sold for paper-making. It is packed up into large bales of about 4 cwt. capacity, compressed into small bulk by powerful presses, and shipped to England.