The latter had already arranged a simple press, but when the latter was nearing completion, Roy burst out laughing, as he remarked: "Type is a good thing, and so is a printing press, but I am interested in knowing where we are going to get the paper."
"Paper?" exclaimed George; "lots of it growing all about here." And he looked at the boys a little maliciously. "All we need to do is to go out and gather it."
"Paper growing? Well, I have seen many things here, but that is something new to me."
"Do you know what the plantain tree is, the tree, with the big sprawling leaves? Those leaves will make good sheets for printing on."
The Professor heard the last part of the conversation, and remarked: "We might as well make paper, and I have already asked Harry to make a grinder for furnishing the pulp. We have the finest paper stock in the world."
"Yes," exclaimed George; "the ramie."
"No; not that. There is a reason why hemp,[p. 231] and many other fibers are better than that. Do you recall the peculiarity about ramie?"
Harry remembered. It resists moisture, and while it makes an excellent paper would be difficult with their crude means to turn it out satisfactorily. The grinding machine was a simple affair, and the fiber was fed through again and again, until it was cut up into short lengths.
