184 



Root-stocks are continually reproduced so that continual crop- 

 ping year by year would seem to be ensured. 



YIELDS. 



It is estimated that well-covered land with stems say 4 inches 

 apart would yield 7 tons of raw dried fibre equal to 4 tons of 

 paper per acre per annum. 



In the neighborhood of Morretes in Brazil tracts of land of 

 from 7,000 to 8,000 acres are covered with Hcdychium capable, 

 it is beheved, of yielding at least 50,000 tons of dry fibre sufficient 

 for the production of 30,000 tons of paper per annum. Another 

 estimate gives 6-10 tons of dry raw material per acre per annum 

 equal to 4 tons of pulp compared with 2 tons and 0.70 tons respec- 

 tively of rice straw, 0.20 tons of pulp wood once in 40 years, and 

 1.35 to 1.57 tons of pulp from bamboo once in 5 years. Hcdy- 

 chium coronarium gives a greater weight of raw material per acre 

 than any other product listed. 



DISPOSAL OF RAW MATERIAL. 



There are three methods of dealing with the raw material, the 

 simplest being the drying and crushing between rollers of the 

 stems after which they may be sent to Europe. This entails the 

 payment of freight on a large proportion of unserviceable ma- 

 terial. 



Another method is to pulp the stems as is done with wood ; a 

 third method is to manufacture paper from the green stems on 

 the spot. It is stated that the whole treatment from harvesting 

 to the manufacture of paper need not occupy more than twenty- 

 four hours. 



No figures are available to show the cost of production of a 

 ton of pulp or of the returns. Messrs. Clayton Beadle and 

 Stevens obtained 4 per cent, and over of dressed fibre from Hedy- 

 chiurn compared with ly^ per cent, from IManila hemp, the papers 

 produced possessing a greater tensil strength than those of the 

 strongest Manila papers. Owing to the semi-gelatinous nature 

 of the cells a natural parchment can be made. 



ITS VALUE FOR CEYLON. 



As has been stated Hcdychium corotwrium occurs in Ceylon 

 over a considerable range of elevation. In Brazil it takes pos- 

 session of the land to the exclusion of all other vegetation but 

 whether it would behave like that in Ceylon has not been ascer- 

 tained. Its value will depend upon its power of spreading and 

 reproducing stems. If it is found to flourish under irrigation it 

 may i)rove a valuable product for our dry zone. There would 



