1. IN A PAPER MACHINE COUCH ASSEMBLY, IN COMBINATION, A COUCH ROLL WITHIN A FORMING WIRE LOOP, A LOOPED PICKUP FELT OUTSIDE THE FORMING WIRE LOOP, A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED SUCTION BOXES WITH THEIR SUCTION AREAS COVERED BY A PORPUS SOLID ELASTOMER TRAVELING LOOP WITHIN THE PICKUP FELT LOOP AND URGING THE PICKUP FELT AGAINST THE COUCH ROLL TO PICKUP A MOIST WEB TRAVELING ON THE WIRE OVER THE COUCH ROLL AT A SOUCH NIP, SAID COUCH BEING A GROOVED ROLL HAVING AN IMPERFORATE SHELL PERSENTING TO THE WIRE A PERIPHERAL SURFACE PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF ALTERMINATING GENERALLY CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ALIGNED GROOVES AND RIDGES, SAID RIDGES PRESENTING TO SUCH WIRE SMOOTH GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL CLOSELY AXIALLY SPACED LAND AREAS FOR SUPPORTING THE WIRE TO BRIDGE THE GROOVES, AND SAID GROOVES BEING VENTED TO AMBIENT ATMOSPHERE AT THE ONCOMING AND OFF-RUNNING SIDES OF THE COUCH NIP.