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Show 3 OLD~PAPERMAKIN making paper. For the preliminary treatment, th ‘well worn rags were cut into small pieces and afte being wetted they were pressed into balls and lef in a heap for six weeks or two months, being kep moist the while. Thiscausedafermentation whic was manifested by the increased temperature o the mass, the rags assuming a peculiar colour, no unlike the dregs of wine. This method of preparation was wasteful in the extreme as fully one-thir of the material was rotted beyond use. The portio suited for papermaking was tender and easily beat en so the action of the newly-invented stampingmills had immediate effect upon the rotted cloth A more effectual method of fermentation wa adopted in the middle seventeenth century. Thi process is described by De La Lande in "Art de fair Le Papier," (Paris, 1762),as follows: "The rotting re ceptacle consists of a large stone cistern having porous bottom. The rags are put into this troug and water is run on them for a period of ten days then the rags are allowed to remain another te days withoutany water beingsupplied. When th mass is stirred the centre portion comes to the surface which assists in the fermentation. Thisrottin process continues five or six weeks and when th heat becomes so great that the hand can only stan the temperature a moment, it is determined th putrefying process is completed. The time require for fermenting depends on the cloth, as fine line Diital image© 2004 Marriot Libary, University o Utah. Al ighs reerved |