352 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, i88«. 



of dollars worth of fibre in Wiscoosiu and Minue- 

 Bota are n-presented as "rotting upon the fields. " 

 No use of the vast acreage of flax fibre is made, 

 except in one establishment, in tha State. The 

 eanie condition of affairs was apparent in other 

 states of the Union when the dutj on gnnuy cloth 

 WIS reduced to such an extent as to make the ma- 

 nufacture of flax for bagging purposes impossible. 

 We should think that in such a case the flax straw 

 could be utilized for paper-making. While it is stated 

 that there can be no doubt as to the successful cult- 

 ivation of jute, it is added that a machine has been 

 invented such as the Indian Government desiderated 

 in the case of rhea, and for which, if perfectly 

 successful, a prize of R50 000 was to be awarded. 

 No machine fulfilling all the conditions was brought 

 forward, although some did good work. Now, however, 

 we are told that : — 



With regard to the separation of the fibre from the 

 bark a process has, it appears, been discovered, a 

 combination of chemical and mechanical means, by 

 which the "intrinsic and industiial value of jute 

 can be greatly enhanced at comparatively small cost," 

 This howei'er requires to be confirmed by the test 

 of practical experience. In this newly discov^r^'d 

 process the steepmg and rolling of the plant hitherto 

 deemed indispeusible has been overcome and the cult- 

 ivator of jute need have no more difficulty with 

 his jute crop than with wheat or rye. Sowing, cut- 

 ting and carting will represent the cultivator's work, 

 and pools for steeping as in India for jute and 

 ramie, and for flax iu various countries in Europe, 

 with the various handlings and dryings entailed will 

 now, should the invention bear the teat of experi- 

 ence, be unnecessary. In addition to this, a macliine 

 of a most remarkable character has been invented and 

 patented in America by JVlessrs. Martin Dennis and 

 Albert Angell for the preparation of jute or ramie 

 fibre. It is thus described by Mr. Drummond. 



This machine is 34 inches wide and 44 inches high, 

 and is very strong and not liable to damage. It can 

 be removed to any point without taking apart, and 

 it is ready for use on the instant, being simply a 

 series of rollers, and scrapers and beaters. At the 

 top is a copper with a dozen holes, through which 

 the fibre is fed to the machine. The machine started, 

 a stalk of ramie or other fibre is set by the thick 

 end into the hole ; it is grasped between two rollers 

 covered with flexible rubber, and the stalk in passing 

 into the machine iinniedintoly enconntera a knife, 

 which splits it in two, fending one iwo halves to 

 opposite sides of the machine. The halves on their 

 journey encounter "beaters," which break off the 

 pith and wood, and, on the other side, encounter 

 "sciapers" which remove the bark, and in an instant 

 the filament comes out in long ribbons of fibre. An 

 unbroken ribbon, exactly the length of the stalk or 

 switch which was fed to the machine, is thus obtained, 

 and the wood and extraneous matter are as cleanly 

 taken oft' as could be desired and without sliver.^. 



Til is machine claims to be able to clean or prepare 

 2,0f'0 b. of fibre a daj', aud that it may be fed by 

 a boy. Ramie, mallow, or jute may be run through 

 it as soon as they are cut without any rotting of 

 the outer bark by steeping, which, it is contended, 

 injures the fibre. The fibre is unbroken. The scrap- 

 ings can be used as paper stock, and the woody fibre 

 as fuel for driving the machine. The only process 

 needlul after running the jute through the machine 

 is to boil the gum from the ribbons of fibre, and they 

 are then ready to be tied in hanks for the manu- 

 facturers. The very great importance of the inventions 

 we have thus shortly noticed cannot be overestimated 

 that if, should they prove equal to all the work the}- 

 claim to be able to perform. Messrs, Dennis and 

 Ar^ ll's Biachine is about to be tested on a large 



Bcale during the year, and we may look for reports 

 of its working in a month or two. Should, however, 

 the operations prove successful, the Indian cultivator 

 and the Dundee manufacturers of jute will have to 

 adapt themselves to the changed conditions of cultiva- 

 tion and manufacture if they are to compete with 

 America. Tbere is always the advantage of cheap 

 labour on the side of India and if America invent 

 machines European capital aud enterprize can procure 

 and work them with the advantage of an almost un- 

 limited and cheap labour market thrown into the 

 bargain. How it will atJ^ect Dundee or India remains 

 to be seen. 



Of course the success of the semi-chemical process, 

 and that of the machine, might helj) to render the 

 extraction of fibre from rhea and other plants in- 

 cluding plain tains, aloes, pineapples, &c., profitable 

 in Ceylon. 



COFFEE AND TEA CULTIVATION IN THE 

 MADRAS PRESIDENCY. 



A statement shewing the extent of coffee and tea 

 cultivation in the Madras Presidency for 1881 has 

 recently been submitted to the Government. The state- 

 ments from Travanoore and Cochin are still due, 

 which is unfortunate, as Travancore has a rather large 

 acreage under coS'ee cultivation. The statement illus- 

 trative of the state of coffee cultivation shews that 

 the total number of plantations is 18,028, including 

 14,24 1 plantations in the Wynaad. This is a decrease 

 as compared with former years, which is attributed to 

 the abandonment of estates in consequence of the 

 plants thereon having been blighted. Of course a large 

 number of these are small native gardens. Elevation 

 ranges from as low as 100 feet on the Malabar Coast 

 to 6,000 feet on the Nilgiris. The Wynaad estates 

 are from 2,400 to 4,700 feet above sea level. The 

 total area in acres is as follows : Vizagapatam 6 ; 

 Madura 5,0.59 ; Tmnevelly 2,870; Coimbatore 3,888; 

 Nilgiris 48,033; Salem 10,718; Malabar (including 

 Wynaad) 63,016 ; the grand total being 133,591 acres. 

 Of this area 59,355 acres is not yet planted, although 

 the land has been taken up for planting. The acreage 

 for Travancore will, we believe, be found to be about 

 30,000 acres, making a grand total of over 160,000 

 acres. The average yield in lb. per acre of mature 

 plants varies from 1001b iu some parts of Malabar to 

 5541b. in Palni, Madura. The Nilgiris average is a 

 good one, 4261b., much higher than that of the Wynaad, 

 1951b The Ceylon average of recent years, has been 

 under 3 cwt. per acre. The total approximate yield 

 in the Nilgiris was 10,015,(J19 lb., and that of the 

 Wynaad, with a larger area planted, only about half 

 the quantity, viz., 5,763,2-'5 lb. The smallness of the 

 yield iu the Salem District, 792,000 lb. from 5,650 

 acres planted, is attributed to the damage committed 

 by the cyclone in October last. The total upprox- 

 mate yield in all the districts was 18,548,646 lb. 

 These statistics show the grave importance to this 

 Presidency of the recent action of the British Go- 

 vernment with regard to the adulti ration of cofifee, 

 cultivation. We must now turn to the statement 

 illustrative of the state of tea cultivation in this Presid- 

 ency, is not a very ehiborate one. I'he plantations 

 are of couivse chiefly upon the Nilgiris, wheie t ey 

 number 86 ; there are three small estates in the Malabar 

 district, and two very small estates in Madura. The 

 elevation ranges from 3, (,'00 to 8,000 feet. The number 

 of acres planted is 4,302, and there are 4,833 acres 

 taken up for planting but not yet p'anted. The ap- 

 proximate yield was 648,616 lb., or about 246 lb. per 

 acre of mature plants. Some estates — one at Coonoor 

 — produced as much as 400 lb. per acre, we hear priv- 

 ately, which must have resulted from high cultivation 

 aud careful working. It must be remembered that 



