CHRISTCHURCH PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 928, 11 September 1869, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

At the Annual meeting of the Chrirtoharoh Philosophical Institute, held on the lit inst., »n intercßting papor vw road by th« VioePresident, Mr T. Nottidge, on the structure and colour of the fibre of thephormiumtenax, of whiohthe following a straot is giytaby the Lyttelton Times :— From an examination of the microscopical strnoturo of the fl&x le«f and fibre, the author arrived at the following conclusions :— lst. That there is no woody nmttor to be loparatod from the fibre. 2nd. That the rlbro cannot bo indefinitely divided. 3rd, That tha ultimato fibres aro much shorter than is commonly supposed, jprobably leu than two inches in length. He. bad also ascertained, by experiment, thutthe fibre in the unininred loaf is white even in tho butt ond. That the ultimate fibres oonsist of elongated tubular oells. That in c*oh bundle of fibres minute oanals art formed by the interstlcos hotweon tho fibres. That the bumllos of fibre are surrounded by tho cclluhr tissue of the leaf, containing the sticky jmoos and the colouring matter of the plant. That in tho ordinary process of ma« nufacture, the oellular tissue is broken up, and the fluid oontents of the oelli am sot froe ; he snggtsts that theso juices aro by capillary attraotlon drawn »uto tho minute tabes of tho fibre, and into tho small intonrpacos between tho fibres, thereby discolouring Vho abre-makino it to some extent harsh and brittle, and rendering it liable to daatructlro ohemtoal action, where exposed to air and water. Tiio partial remedy ho propose*, is to dilute the sticky juioos of tho leaf as much at possible with water at tho very instant they aro sot f rco ; and he stated that tbs colour is improved, and the juioos are further diluted,; by subsequently p*asiitg the fibr* botweoo rollers, or under a boating machine, with s> ploHttful supply of water, and that tho tooner this Is done after the first part of th* prooMt, tho better it th» odour.