Hemp Hurds as Paper-Making Material | Page 4

that the present wood supply can not withstand indefinitely
the demands placed upon it, and with increased scarcity economy in the
use of wood will become imperative. This effect is already apparent in
many wood-using industries, and although the paper industry consumes
only about 3 per cent of the total forest cut, it is probable that it will be
affected through this economy. Our forests are being cut three times as
fast as they grow, and as wood becomes more expensive proper
growing and reforesting will receive more attention. Thus, naturally, a
balance will be established between production and consumption, but
as this condition approaches its limiting values the price of wood may
rise to such levels that there will be a demand for other raw materials.
The use of waste paper in conjunction with chemical wood pulp has
increased to enormous proportions, and it is probable that the increase
will continue. Although it is a cheaper raw material than wood, it is
reasonable to suppose that as the wood supply decreases and the price
of wood pulp advances, the price of waste paper will advance
somewhat proportionately.
In view of these conditions it is advisable to investigate the
paper-making value of the more promising plant materials before a
critical situation arises. To be of substantial value the investigations
should include not only a determination of the quality and quantity of
pulp and paper which the material is capable of producing, but should
embrace a consideration of such relevant factors as agricultural
conditions, farm practice, assembling conditions, transportation, and
probable future supply.
Certain cultivated plants seem particularly promising, because in the
harvesting of the regular crop that portion which might be utilized for
paper manufacture necessarily is either wholly or partially assembled.

To this class of plants belong corn, broom corn, sorghum, sugar cane,
bagasse, flax, hemp, and the cereal straws.[1]
[Footnote 1: For descriptions of investigations of some of these crops,
see the list of publications at the end of this bulletin.]
It is generally conceded that the employment of different raw materials
would probably yield products of a somewhat different quality than
those now prevailing in the markets, but the qualities of papers and the
public demands are so diversified and numerous that this possible
objection should not be serious. Ten years ago sulphite manufacturers
would not accept consignments of spruce logs if they contained over 5
per cent of fir, while to-day many manufacturers tolerate 50 per cent.
Rope papers are found to contain not only jute, but when this raw
material is not plentiful, chemical pulp of various kinds. "Linen paper"
is often no more than a trade term. Not long ago printing papers were
made entirely from chemical wood pulp, but to-day if it is desired to
secure paper which is free from ground wood the specifications must so
stipulate. Writing papers, formerly made entirely from rags, now are
likely to contain either chemical or even ground-wood pulp unless the
specifications prohibit it. Without doubt, many paper manufacturers
have maintained certain papers up to a fixed standard for a long series
of years, but it is equally true that competition has lowered the standard
of a great many papers, some of which had acquired a distinctive
recognition. The employment of plant fibers will not necessarily lower
the present quality of papers, but if their employment does result in
products whose qualities are somewhat different from our so-called
standard papers it does not necessarily follow that such papers will not
find a ready market.
=FACTORS JUSTIFYING AN INVESTIGATION OF HEMP
HURDS.=
Hemp hurds form a crop waste, in that they necessarily are produced in
the raising and preparation of hemp fiber, and their present use and
value are comparatively insignificant.
The assembling of the hurds may be effected with economy, since the

area in which hemp is handled with the use of machine brakes is
restricted. Although it must be stated that the present annual supply
would not be sufficient to justify the installation of a pulp mill nor
would its transportation to existing mills appear feasible, it is expected
that the available annual tonnage, especially in certain general sections,
will increase, due to the increased use of the machine brake. The
present tonnage per annum is approximately as follows: In the region
of Ohio and Indiana, 2,500 tons; in the Wisconsin section, 1,000 tons;
in the California region, 1,400 tons.
In years of adverse weather conditions there are often large areas of
hemp which are not harvested on account of its poor quality; there are
also large areas of cut hemp which become overretted, due to inclement
weather. It has been suggested by some of the hemp raisers that this
large amount of material might be utilized as a paper stock. In these
cases the cost of