HOWARD AND HOWARD. 11 



are obtained if the crop is sown on the early monsoon showers of 

 June. 



The crop is harvested in Bihi'ir in November when the first 

 formed seeds are just ripe and while the upper portion of the plant 

 is still in flower. There seems to be some difference of opinion as 

 to the exact period when the strongest fibre is obtainable. Rox- 

 burgh' found that cord made from plants in flower broke at 

 115 lbs. while that from plants in fruit broke at 110 lbs. Watt,^ 

 on the other hand, states that " full-grown plants which have 

 ripened their seed furnish stronger fibre than if cut while in flower. 

 The plants are retted in water for ten days or niore according to 

 the temperature. At first, the bundles are placed vertically in 

 water to soak the thick root ends only after which they are 

 laid horizontally and completely immersed. 



The fibre thiis obtained is much more glossy and lighter in 

 colour than sann but is harsher and the fibres adhere more closely 

 to one another. The following description of the fibres is taken 

 from Hanausek's Microscopij of Technical Products. 



Gambo hemp.^ 

 " The fibres are yellow-white to grey-yellow, slightly lus- 

 trous, somewhat lignified. On treatment of a cross-section with 

 iodine and sulphuric acid, it is evident that the Ugnification is not 

 uniform throughout. In many fibres the walls are yellow, with a 

 rather brown outer lamella ; in others the inner layers of the walls 

 are deep blue, only the outer lamella being yellow. Whole fibres 

 treated in the same manner also show irregularities in colour. 

 These clift'erences may explain some of the contradictory state- 

 ments of different authors. Wiesner^ states that the bast cells 

 on treatment with iodine and sulphuric acid swell and become 



1 lioxburgh, 1. c. 



2 Watt, J7ie Commercial Proihirts of India, London, 1908, p. 630. 



3 T. F. Hanaiisek, Gambo/iauf. ReaUnzyklojMdic d. i/cs. Plinriii.. i. Aiifl. 1905.5, r.H, 

 V. Hohnel : .VU/raxkopii' ilcr teclinisch rpruvndrten. Faxfrstofc, Wieii. 2. Aufl. 1905, 5P. 

 Matthews. Tr.rtile Filires, New York, 2nd Ed., 1907, 30S. 



* Die RoJi-itoff des Pfamenreichcs, Leipzig, 2. Aufl. 190:S, 2, 31, 



