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between the various layers of fibre on the same stem, the outside 

 layer close to the bark being stronger and rougher, whilst the inner 

 layer is glossier and finer, and more suitable for high-class fabrics. 

 It is also highly probable that, as in flax, the fibre at the base of the 

 stem is rougher than at the top. Well-marked differences arise 

 from the season of cultivation and the time of cutting. The first 

 crop of the plant is usually shorter and more woody and branched, 

 and yields inferior fibre to the second or third crop, which, in turn, 

 appear to differ from each other. It seems also certain that, like 

 jute, the early-cut stems yield a finer fibre, but in proportionably 

 small quantities, whilst in the perfectly ripe stems the fibre increases 

 in weight and strength, but diminishes in fineness and lustre. If 

 the ramie stems be worked up in their fresh state, and if the time 

 of cutting should have extended over four or six weeks, this in 

 itself would be sufficient to produce fibre of different qualities, 

 even from the same plantation. 



"A diiiference in the soil or mode of cultivation is as sure to pro- 

 duce remarkable differences in the qualities of the fibre as it does 

 in the case of flax or jute. In the ramie stems obtained from 

 France, there was a proportion of strong branched knotty sticks, 

 more than half an inch in diameter at the bottom, whilst there was 

 also a considerable proportion of thin shoots, hardly a quarter of 

 an inch thick, and straight and smooth, although as high as the 

 former, and containing a much finer fibre. The difference arose 

 obviously from the former growing as central stems with a number 

 of lateral branches, while the latter grew as parallel shoots thrown 

 out from the same root — a difference which the mode of planting 

 and cultivation would produce. 



" On the part of several correspondents who have long given their 

 attention to this fibre, it has been suggested that, for very fine 

 purposes, this plant should not be grown to a greater height than 

 three or four feet, the superior value of the fibre compensating for 

 the diminished out-turn per acre, although even the out-turn might 

 be increased or at least remain unchanged, if the smaller height 

 to which the plant is grown should allow of planting it closer to- 

 gether, or of obtaining more crops per annum than when the plant 

 is grown to its usual height of six or eight feet. The fibre from 

 the smaller stems is likely not only to be finer, but it is also likely 

 to suffer less loss in combing. Although the bark peeled off the 

 six to seven foot stems may be of the same length as the stems, 

 yet the fibres do not run the whole length. At each joint a certain 

 proportion of the fibres stops, so that along with the full length 

 fibre there is always a certain proportion of short length, which, 

 in scutching and combing, mostly run to tow. With stems of less 

 height, this difficulty is likely to be lessened. 



" All these are differences in the natural properties of the fibre 

 itself, and independent of variations produced by a different mode 

 of preparation. The latter, which will be superadded to those in- 

 herent in the fibre as grown, will be hardly less considerable. 

 There is the difference between the fibre obtained from the green 



