io MODERN PAPER-MAKING
the walls of the chest and the blades of the agitators causes the softened fibres
to roll up on themselves, forming little balls.
Esparto very readily absorbs colours, and very brilliant tints may be pro-
duced. Though the 'Hollander' beater may be used for this fibre, a lighter
type of engine gives better results and is far more economical. The 'Taylor'
or "Tower5 beaters with their lighter rolls and separate circulators are very
efficient and capable of giving all the treatment that esparto requires.
During the last few years straw has been used in very large quantities by all the
esparto mills, owing to the impossibility of obtaining esparto grass consequent
upon the war. Many of these mills have made a very great success of straw as a
suitable fibre for printing and writing papers, using approximately the same
treatment and the same equipment as they previously used for esparto. Owing,
however,-to the low yield, and the longer time taken in washing, it has not been
possible to keep up the same output, and additional plant has had to be installed
to enable the mill to keep up production.
The length of the straw fibre is less than that of the esparto fibre, although they
resemble each other to some degree. Straw fibres are greater in diameter, and
are always associated with the serrated cells characteristic of both kinds of fibre.
It seems possible that many mills, after their experience of the last few years,
may continue to use straw even after esparto again becomes available, and this
would be very desirable in view of the fact that it is home-produced and gives
the farmers a greater return from their cereal crops.