(2) With regard to written documents, it must be evident that the proper materials are those of class A, and that the paper should be pure and sized with gelatin, and not with rosin. All imitations of high-class writing-papers which are, in fact, merely disguised printing-papers, should be carefully avoided. _Appendix._--To the Report is added 'Abstracts of Papers' in 'Mittheilungen aus den Koniglichen Technischen Versuchsanstalten, Berlin,' for the years 1885-1896 inclusive--which is, in fact, a summary of the investigations of the Institution in connection with paper and paper-standards. * * * * * (p. 273) ~Special Industrial Developments.~--From the point of view of the chemist there has been a very large development of the cellulose industries during the last five years. This is not so much marked by the gradual and progressive growth of the well-established industries, as by the success of the newer ones, with the attendant forecast of enormous developments of the industries in artificial products, the manufacture of which rests upon a purely chemical basis. We can, of course, only treat them from this limited standpoint, and so far as they involve and elucidate chemical principles. ~I. Chemical Treatments of Raw Materials.~ (a) ~Flax-spinning.~--The treatment of the roving on the spinning-frame by the addition of reagents to the macerating liquid--otherwise and usually hot water--continues to be justified by results. The technical basis of the process and the reactions determined in the spinning-trough by the alkaline salts used--chiefly sulphite and phosphate of soda--is set forth in the original work, p. 280. Since that time a sufficient period has elapsed to judge the effects, both technical and industrial, by the results of a commercial undertaking based on the exclusive use of the process. Such a concern is the Irish Flax Spinning Company of Belfast. At this mill the experience is uniform and fully established that by means of the process the drawing, i.e. spinning, quality of inferior flaxes is very considerably appreciated, enabling the spinner to use such flaxes for yarns of fineness which are unattainable by the ordinary method of spinning through hot water. Notwithstanding the success of this undertaking the development of the method is still inconsiderable. It is none the less a further and forcible demonstration of the existence of margins of increased technical effect which it is the work of the scientific technologist to exploit.