240 CHINESE CULTIVATION'. 



In the tenth month of every year, before cutting the offsets 

 which pass beyond the roots, the earth is covered with a thick 

 layer of cow or horse dung. In the second month the manure 

 is raked off in order to allow the new plants to come up freely. 

 At the end of 3 years the roots become excessively strong ; if 

 part of the plants which come up in close tufts were not removed, 

 the others would be smothered. 



Gathering the Tchou-ma. 



The tchou-ma may be gathered 3 times a-year. When the 

 stems are cut, the little shoots spi'inging from the root-stock 

 should be about half an inch high. As soon as the large stems 

 are cut, the suckers spring up with more vigour, and soon 

 furnish a second crop. If the young shoots be too long, the 

 large stems ought not to be cut ; but the ground shoots would 

 not become vigorous, and would be prejudicial to the develop- 

 ment of the larger stems. 



The first crop is got in towards the commencement of the 

 fiftli month ; the second in the middle of the sixth, or at the 

 beginning of the seventh month ; and the third and last in the 

 middle of the eighth or the beginning of tiie ninth month. The 

 stems of the second crop grow much faster than the others, and 

 are by far the best. 



After the crop, the stocks of tchou-ma are covered with ma- 

 nure and immediately watered. 



Peeling the Fibres of the Tchou-ma. 



When the stems are all got in they are split longitudinally 

 with knives of iron or of bamboo. The bark is first removed ; 

 then the lower layer (which is white, and covered with a shrivelled 

 pellicle which comes off by itself) is scraped off with a knife. 

 The interior fibres are then seen ; they are to be removed and 

 softened in boiling water. If the tchou-ma be peeled in winter, 

 the stems must be previously steeped in tepid water in order that 

 they may be the more easily split. 



The first layer of tchou-ma is coarse and hard, and is only 

 good for making common materials ; the second is a little more 

 supple and fine ; the third, which is the best, is used for making 

 extremely fine light articles. 



Steeping and bleaching the Tchou-ma. 



The stems are tied up in little sheaves and placed on the roof 

 of a house, in order that they may be moistened by the dew at 

 night, and dried again by the sun in the day. 



