ZACATON AS A PAPER-MAKING MATERIAL.
The
true fiber
length
its
15
(fig. 11) has remarkably good felting qualities, but than that of esparto, which varies from 1.5 to 1.9
is less
millimeters.
CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE GRASS AND PULP. In cooperation with the Department of Commerce, an investigation of the chemical nature of zacaton grass and pulp in regard to such points as have a bearing on their paper
value was conducted at the Bureau of Standards. 1 The pulps examined were from cooks 7, 8, The report 9, and 10. of this chemical investigation,
which needs
no comment, in
Original
1.
is
given
as follows
full,
straw.
Ash; (6) moisture;
(c)
—
(a)
ether-
alcohol extract; (d) water extract; (e) cellulose
by (1)
and Bevan chlorin method, (2) Cross and Bevan dilute nitric method, Cross
Renker's chlorin
(3)
method; and (/) loss on boiling with dilute caustic soda. It to
was found necessary
grind the straw
very
on account of the lack of homogeneity of the samples The largest samples practicable with the u n g r o u n d straw gave widely varying results, so recourse was had at once fine,
.
to grinding all
the straw
in a clean coffee mill be-
n.
fore analysis.
Analyses for comparative Fig. 11.— Pulp of Epicampes macroura, X 352: 1, Bast; 2, porous parenchyma; 3, sclereid; 4 and 5, parenchyma; 6, modified epivalue should refer to dry dermal cells; 7, parenchyma of pith; 8, short epidermis cells; 9, material; hence the moislong epidermis cells; 10, pitted trachea; 11, annular trachea; 12, bast. ture was determined first to be 4.8 per cent. The ash gave £ .1 per cent in one determination and 8.8 per cent in another. In both cases a very large proportion of the ash was silica, as shown i
The chemical work on zacaton was done by Mr. George
Bureau
of Standards,
United States Department
of
S. Tilley, at
Commerce.
that time cellulose expert at the
