304 



twenty years. In his opinion the outside limit to the age of a ramie 

 plai.t was fourteen years, and probably twelve was nearer the 

 average. If the roots were too old the fibre was deteriorated, and 

 was worth considerably less for spinning purposes. But as Mrs. 

 Hart had said, the plants themselves provide so many means for 

 obtaining new plants that it was not a serious consideralion if the 

 twenty years were reduced to twelve. The industry had now been 

 put on a commercial basis. There was an immense demand for 

 ramie yarn, in fact, so great was the demand that the largest mill 

 in Germany was said not to be able to accept further orders for a 

 considerable time. Consequently, if there was an ever-growing 

 demand for the yarns in England and they could not be obtained 

 except by going to Germany and France, it seemed to him that 

 the English would be a very benighted people if they did not put 

 up some spinning mills and spin the yarn they required. He hoped 

 the excellent paper which Mrs. Hart had read would have a powerful 

 influence in that direction. 



MACHINERY. 



Mr. Hubert J. Boeken states in a pamphlet just lately published 

 thai he has for many years been engaged with machinery for all 

 kinds of textile fibres, and that in his last voyage to the West 

 Indies he succeeded in finding a machine which had been wanted 

 for so long, — one which could easily and economically decorticate 

 ramie. Mr. Jose Garcia Hernandez of Havana had been occupied 

 for l8 years with indefatigable perseverance in the construction of 

 a dccorticator. Mr. Boeken saw the little model machine of Mr. 

 Garcia, and at once recognised the possibilities of utilising the 

 principle of this machine. He constructed a larger machine on 

 this principle with the improvements suggested by his experience, 

 and named it the "Aquiles." This machine is now manufactured 

 by H. Boeken & Co., Diiren, Germany. The advantages which it 

 possesses over other inventions of the same kind according to Mr. 

 Boeken are the following : — 



1. Simplicity of mechanical construction, as there are neither 



scutching drum, nor knives, nor feeding chains. 



2. Very feeble expenditure of motive power necessary ; a 



child can put the machine in motion. 



3. Continuous feeding of the machine. 



4. Output considerable : 10,000 stalks an hour giving about 



40 lbs. of Chinagrass an hour. 



5. Facility of transport. The machine is not more difficult to 



move than an ordinary sewing machine. 



6. Moderate price which puts it within the reach of every 



planter : £60. 



7. Total weight 990 lbs. 



FIBRE MACHINE. 



Among the articles exhibited by the Jamaica Society of Arts in 

 Kingston on the 17th and 19th of February 1855, and subsequently 

 sent to the Paris Exhibition were fibres from the Jerusalem dagger. 



