South African Fibre Plants. 



575 



As soon as the retting- has advanced sufficiently the fibre is 

 stripped off by hand and cleaned by dashing- it against the surface of 

 the water or a board erected for the purpose. After washing, it is 

 wrung out and hung up to dry for a day. It is then twisted into 

 hanks and pressed into bales of some 400 lb. weight. 



The yield of fibre per acre in India is said to be from 1-2 tons ; 

 no statistics regarding tlie yield per acre in South Africa are yet 

 available. 



Samples of fibre from this plant growing in the Transvaal have 

 been submitted by the Department of Agriculture to the Imperial 

 Institute in London for analysis and report, on several occasions. 

 As far back as June, 1909, a small sample of this fibre, weighing 



Phoio by J. B. Pole Evavs."] 



Plate V. — Bundles of Hihiseus rannabinux from Westfalia Estate, Duivels Kloof, 



Transvaal. 



10^ oz., and obtained from Duivels Kloof in the Transvaal, was 

 reported upon by the Imperial Institute as follows : — 



" The sample consisted of two bundles of nearly white, clean 

 fibre, of fair lustre, with a slight greenish- tint. One bundle 

 consisted of much harsher and more strappy fibre than the other. 

 In both cases the fibre was gummy and insufficiently retted. 

 Strength, good; length of staple, 3 feet 6 inches. The fibre was 

 unsuitable for chemical examination. 



" Commercial Value. — If properly prepared these fibres 

 would command a fair price, as they are of excellent colour and 

 have good strength. But m their present insufficiently retted, 

 strappy condition, they would be of little or no commercial value, 

 since they could not be employed for spinning purposes. 



