The  paper  industry  is  chiefly  concentrated  in  the  pro-
vinces of  Brabant,  Antwerp,  Liege  and  Namur.  Without
reckoning  3  minor  works  producing  nothing  but  wood-
paste,  there  are  in  Belgium  47  factories  which  produce
ordinary  paper,  packing-paper  and  card-board.  Some  of
these  establishments  are  of  great  importance  and  are
widely  known.
The  total  staff  employed  in  the  paper-mills  numbers
about  65oo  persons,  and  the  motive  force  used  is  nearly
10,000  H.  P.
Prepai*ation  of  Paper  and  Card-Board.
The  processes  applied  to  paper  and  card-board  are  as
numerous  as  they  are  diversified.  In  Belgium  the  prepa-
ration of  these  two  products  admits  of  a  certain  number  of


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small  and  mediom  sized  industries  carried  on  in  877  esta-
blishments, giving  employment  to  about  3ooo  persons
and  using  800  H.  P.  The  various  factories  which  make
use  of  paper  and  card-board  as  raw  material  are  gene-
rally established  and  concentrated  in  the  manufacturing
districts  of  the  country  and  in  the  large  towns  such  as
Brussels,  Antwerp,  Liege,  Ohent,  &c.
In  the  preparation  of  paper,  two  entirely  distinct  depart-
ments have  to  be  considered.  The  first  couFlsts  of  the
dressing  of  the  paper  and  card-board,  which  is  then  sold
in  sheets  or  in  rolls;  the  second  is  the  making-up  of
paper  and  card-board  into  a  number  of  articles  of  the  most
diverse  shapes,  appearance  and  use.
DresBing  of  Paper  and  Card-Board.
In  this  department  are  placed,  on  one  hand  glazed  and
impregnated  papers  nnd  card-boards,  on  the  other,  layered,
coloured  papers,  wall-papers,  photographic  papers,  &c.
Glazed  and  impregnated  Papers  and  Card-Boards.
1.  ira/er-proof  paper  used  for  special  packing.  These
papers  can  be  glazed  on  one  face  only  :  tarred  paper,
black  waxed  paper,  varnished  paper  in  several  tints.
