5 74 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February i, 1884. 



aud there is some rheea now ou its way from 

 Algiers, which may come in time for a trial on 

 Tuesday next, although it will be far from fresh. 

 The various samples now exhibited will be on 

 view at Mr. CoUyers rooms, 141, Fenchiirch- 

 street, and I shall be happy to give any special 

 information which it may be in my power to 

 afford. 



In conclusion, it is my duty to express my 

 thanks to Messrs. Garnock, Bibby & Co. ; A. 

 Donisthorpe & Nephew ; J. Glazebrook & Co. ; 

 J. Grathvohl; George Hall & Co.; Richard 

 Harris k Sons ; Herbert E. Hounsell, Limited ; 

 Charles Rhodes; F. Wilkinson; and very speci- 

 ally to Mr. ^.V. AVhitaker, for the interesting 

 series of specimens exhibited on this occasion; 

 as also to Mr. Howson and to Mr. Lascelles Scott 

 — to the former for assistance in connection 

 with the trials of the machine, and to the 

 latter for assistance in the investigation, a 

 small portion of the results from which only 

 appear in the Tables, pages 573-57-1. 



Amongst the specimens exhibited in illustra- 

 tion of the foregoing paper were rheea and 

 China grass in various stages of preparation, 

 from tile stalk to the finest bleached fibre, 

 also many fabrics, including lace and other 

 curtains, shawls, hosiery, handkerchiefs, muslins, 

 sailcloth, &c., made entirely from rheea; also 

 some ropes and twine spun from " Moorva," 

 fibre produced by Messrs. Stains & Co., from 

 the plants growing wild on their Madras Gov- 

 ernment concession in the Coimbatore district. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Wm. Haworth said he could confirm 

 what Dr. Forbes Watson had said with regard 

 to rheea ami all other such fibres of India, 

 that the stem should be acted upon, if possible, 

 immediately after it was cut from the ground. 

 It was as easy to separate the fibre in thit 

 state as it was difiicult to do so afterwards. 

 In 1842, he grew rheea, just for a sample; he 

 cut it, and placed it immediately in a running 

 stream of hot water from a condensing engine, 

 and by this means the bulk of the fibre was 

 very easily separated by hand. All the gummy 

 matter appeared to be separated, and a more 

 boautiful sample he never saw. The moment 

 the stem was taken_ f rom the water, and just 

 held at the tip, you could draw the whole 

 cix'cumference of the bark and fibre away from 

 one end of the plant to the other ; then, draw- 

 ing it through your hands again, you could 

 separate the bark, and all that was required 

 was to wash the fibre in hot water. He held 

 that if this machine could be placed ou a 

 plantation where the plant could be cut im- 

 mediately it was ready, especially if hot water 

 were used with it, it would accomplish all that 

 could be done by hand, and would give a very 

 satisfactory result. Eheea wouUl make the 

 warps of tiie finest cotton goods, ;md the wefts 

 could be made of Sea Island or other fine cotton. 

 He had seen it used in Lyons for the warp of 

 piece goods, and very beautiful goods they 

 were. It could be used for the very finest 

 materials up to the coarsest. He had seen plants 

 growing near Calcutta from seven fc-t to ten 

 feet in height; and the time to cut them was 

 just when they were beginning to fiower. Next 

 after it would come the mudar, the only trial 

 of which yet made had been from plants grow- 

 ing wild, spreading out into a mmibcr of 

 branches, and forming seed pods, like flax ; but 

 if this were sown more clo'iely, it would grow 

 much taller, nearly all stem, and would make 

 even a more beautiful plant than rheea, though 

 not so stron^r. He was quite sure there was a 

 great future for all these Indian fibres, if they 

 were looked after and treated in the way now 

 described. 



