1072 G. ROSSI 



ment. Scutching Department comprising : a machine for cutting off roots 

 and tops, a drier for the stalks to be scutched, fitted with a boon suction 

 current. Preparation of cages of scutched hemp and Jioist for conve^'ance 

 to the retting department. Retting Department, comprising a battery of 

 4 vats of ig.62 cu. yds. capacity each, divided into sub- vats 3ft 3in wide 

 and i6ft 3in deep, furnished with a special arrangement for supplying 

 steam, water and air. Washing and Pressing Department, containing wash- 

 ing machines ard centrifugal driers. These different sections are connected 

 with each other by overhead rails with points, for the conveyance of the 

 cages containing the material for retting and that already retted. From 

 the washing section a hoist runs to the drying department (with automatic 

 apparatus supplying a current of hot air). There is also a special department 

 for the producion of ferments, which is fitted with an automatic producing 

 device. 



After, a starting period which occupied 2 mcnths, the whole of this 

 plant was in regular operation, and the Chairman of the Company wrote 

 in March 1914 that, to their great satisfaction, the shareholders had been 

 able to satisfy themselves of the following : 



(i) The production of ferments by means of cultures supplied by 

 our laboratory had always proved very regular and ensy. 



(2) The retting of the hemp was regularly completed in 48 hours. 



(3) The yarns obtained by the Societe textile Alengonnaise with the 

 hemp retted on our micthod have been compared with the best quality 

 Italian hemp yarns in regard to fineness and flexibility. 



(4) With these yarns the said Company was able to obtain thread 

 No. 16 dry, while the yarns of Sarthe were never able to go beyond the 

 maximum of 7. 



(5) The plant never produces offensive smells. 



(6) The residual water was discharged into a small stream without 

 occasioning any trouble. 



Industrial tests have also been carried out in Italy. One was begun 

 at Giuliano Campania, but was unfortunatel}^ stopped at the outset through 

 the war. Anocher at Coccolia (Ravenna) met with the same fate, and for 

 the same reason. Nevertheless it had already been proved that retting, 

 even in stalks, by this method may with advantage replace the s3-stem in 

 use in the countryside, as on this method the price per cwt of retted mat- 

 erial is 27 s. 5 d. in place of the minimum selling price of 32 s. 8 d. 



Flax. The application of the method to flax is, from a technical point 

 of view, absolutely identical with its application to hemp in the stalk. The 

 operation here again occupied a minimum pericd of 42 hours. It is at the 

 present time being tried on a large scale by the Societe FrauQaise du Rouis- 

 sage industriel at Bonnetable, both for its own account and for account of 

 third persons, to the complete satisfaction of manufacturers. It has an 

 absclutely certain future in all those regions where flax growing is falling 

 off day by da}' owing to the difficulties created by shortage of labour. 



Ramie. The method as applied to ramie (Boehmeria nivea and Boeh- 

 mevia tenacissima) certainly has a great future. Retting takes 48 to 60 



