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Show Pineapple Fiber Now Used in Papermaking Washington. Man's iucreasiug need for paper long since led hitu from the ragbag to the forests. The forests have furnished him wood pulp paper for books, for newsprint, and for the cheaper writing materials, but he has had to go back to the ragbag for the stronger stuff needed for ledgers, bonds and currency. For bag or wrap ping paper old rope and waste tow were also utilized, but rag and rope stock fall short, and man has had to fare forth anew in search of materials for durable paper. A promising material, reported from the tropical jungle, is caroa, a mem her of the pineapple family. Natives ol Brazil from time immemorial have gone into the wilds to cut the long narrow leaves. They beat them be tween stones to separate the fiber and after retting and washing, weave the fiber into twine for nets, fishing lines and ropes. Caroa, it has been found can be made into paper. In the laboratory, caroa was evolved from rope into paper. The rope was cut iuto inch lengths, then thrashed cooked in a solution of caus-tic soda bleached and beaten, until no lumps or knots were left. The stock was poured iuto a mold, where the sheet of pulp was formed immediately on wire. The sheet was then pressed and rolled and air dried. Laboratory tests were followed by others in the experimental paper mill of the bureau of standards. The product was found to have a hurdling strength the same as thai specified for the best papers made from rag or rope. |