OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES. 37 



qiialUy of the hemp much. The rainy feafon is therefore 



preferable for the cultivation and maceration, even if the 



plant grew better during the cold, which is by no means the 



cafe, particularly on lands elevated above the level of the 



annual inundation of the low rice-fields. We muft therefore One annua! 



content ourfelves with one crop in the year ; for it is a very j^^^^P ^'^^3' *^*" ^ 



falfe notion, and a very prevailing one, that the fertile fields 



of Afia produce at leaft two crops annuall;/ ; as well might 



vve fay, that the fertile lands of England yield at lead two, 



becaufea well-managed garden, near London, or fome other 



large city, will produce repeated crops in the year : fo in 



India, by great care and induftry, a fpot here and there will 



produce' two or more crops. The burning heats of Afia, 



while they laft, are as unfavourable for vegetation, as the 



frofts of winter in Europe. 



Befides hemp and flax, the vegetable kingdom, particularly Other vegetables 

 that natural divifion called by Linnaeus, CoUunniferoe, abounds ^„Tu!^^!fel4^fi^f 

 in plants which produce materials fit for cloths, paper, and for the ules of 

 cordage: almoft every nation or country poflfelTes fomething of l^ei^P* 

 the kind peculiar to itfelf. To afcertain what thefe are, as 

 well as to find out new ones, to try their comparative ftrength, 

 durability, texture, &,c. has, at various leifure hours, em- 

 ployed my attention for many years paft. Drawings and 

 defcriptions of many of them have been already laid be- 

 fore the honourable Court of Directors. There are, how- 

 ever, fome others which remain to be brought under view 

 and compared with the kinds we are befl acquainted with, 

 which I have attempted in the following experiments. Many 

 other forts are aUb mentioned by various authors and travellers, 

 of which I know nothing more than the names. Two of 

 thefe are mentioned by Marfden, ^t pages 75 and 76 of his 

 hiftory of Sumatra. Others are peculiar to Pegu, &c. &c. 

 Thefe I muft omit for the prefent, and confine myfelf to futh Dcfcriptiveout- 

 as I am more intimately acquainted with. The better to ^'"^o^^^^ 



•^ . . , author s expen- 



enable me to proceed in this inquiry, I have cultivated, in the ments on various 

 Botanic Garden at Calcutta, many of the plants themfelves P'^"^"* ^^^ ^°'^'^" 

 which produce the materials hereafter mentioned j prepared Preparation of 

 their fibres in general by maceration, &c. as with hemp and ^^^ fibres, 

 ilax in Europe. And, to compare their flrength (plain, tail-" 

 wed, and tarred,) had then made into cords, compofed of three 

 iimple yarns, as nearly of the fame fize and hardnefs as a 

 5 Hindoo 



