Finest 

 Quality. 



Preparation of 

 Fibre. 



Boiled. 



Burma. 



Mixed with 

 Wool or Cotton. 



BCEHMERIA 



LAPORTEA CHINA-GRASS SUBSTITUTES 



CRENULATA 



be necessary to reap the shoots at an earlier time, and perhaps more frequently 

 than stated. 



The inner bark abounds in fibre, that of the young shoots being the finest 

 and strongest and peculiarly silky and at the same time woolly. The shoots 

 when cut were allowed in Mclvor's experiment to remain as they fell for two 

 or three days, by which time they had largely lost their stinging property but 

 were pliable enough to allow the bark being peeled off and separated from the 

 leaves. The bark was then tied in small bundles and dried in the sun. When 

 quite dry the ribbons were beaten with a wooden mallet, which caused the outer 

 bark to fall off and leave the fibre comparatively clean. The fibrous part 

 was then wrapped up in small bundles and boiled for about an hour in 

 water with wood-ashes. The fibre was thus removed and washed as rapidly 

 as possible in clear running water, after which it was bleached as with flax 

 or hemp. 



Nothing further is known of the above experiment, but it may be inferred 

 that the result was not considered a financial success since the endeavour to 

 grow the plant and sell the fibre appears never to have been repeated in any 

 part of India. 



By way of concluding it may be said that, in connection with the inquiry 

 into rhea fibre hi Burma, information was received of what was called Wild-rhea 

 a plant fairly extensively used as a source of fibre by the Shans. On a botanical 

 specimen being furnished this was found to be Girartllnin itvteropityiia. 

 called by the Shans hpetye. Mr. Carr, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Mandalay, 

 wrote that the fibre was not considered so good as gun (rhea) and was not used 

 much by the Burmans. The Palungs, however, were said to mix it with gun. It 

 is somewhat curious that the Jabako and Angami Nagas also employ fjii-arflinlfi 

 fibre mixed with their ban-riha (t'iiifitrmiea) or with cotton, and in Europe the 

 opinion formerly prevailed that the special feature of Nilgiri Nettle fibre was 

 the ease with which it could be mixed with wool, a property not possessed by 

 rhea, and due to the woolly nature of airai-ainin. 



Properties. Recently, however, as a consequence of inquiries made at the 

 Industrial Museum, Calcutta, a sample of the fibre was sent to the Imperial 

 Institute for report. Dunstan furnished a reply which has been issued by the 

 Reporter on Economic Products as a Commercial Circular (1905, No. 1). The 

 following abstract may be here given : 



It is evident that these results confirm those of Cross and Bevan, but 

 indicate that the present sample is less susceptible to the prolonged action 

 of alkali (as shown by the 6-hydrolysis) and contains a larger percentage of 

 cellulose. The fibre of Gii-n>~<liniu ttetfi-uititylin is remarkable for its ability 

 to withstand the action of alkali, its richness in cellulose, and the length of its 

 ultimate fibre. There can be no doubt that the product is of excellent quality, 

 and it seems highly probable that, if it could be prepared on a commercial scale, 

 it might take a high position among textile fibres. 



Mr. B. J. Rose, of the Indian Trade Enquiry Office, 73, Basinghall Street, 

 London, E.G., obtained a commercial valuation of the fibre which was as follows : 



" The small sample of the prepared fibre of the Nilgiri Nettle (utruwiinin 

 iH'ti-ruitiii/iia) received from the Reporter on Economic Products was sub- 

 mitted to a fibre broker, who reports as follows : ' We have examined the sample 

 of vegetable fibre, and beg to report on same : microscopical examination reveals 

 similar structure to flax, appearing, however, to be ineffectively retted ; soft 

 and more open than flax, also of a more downy nature. Length and fineness 

 similar to flax and slightly more silky. In our opinion this fibre is more likely 

 to be employed under similar conditions to the flax fibre than as a wool substi- 

 tute. We value the fibre at 20 per ton.' " [See also p. 151.] 



Laportea crenulata, Gaud. ; the FEVER or DEVIL NETTLE. An 

 evergreen shrub met with in the tropical Himalaya from Sikkim eastward 

 to Assam, Burma, Ceylon, Perak, Java, etc. Is known by the following : 

 Surat, chorpatta, moringi, sir -not, mealumma, pheytakyee, etc. 



This curious plant may be described as the most poisonous of all the nettles 

 of India, although compared with the preceding it is harmless looking. Its 

 stinging hairs cause excessive burning pains, which last for days, augmented on 

 the part being washed ; at the same time it produces violent sneezing and copious 

 running at the nose and contraction of the jaw with severe swelling of the part 

 affected. J. D. Hooker (Him. Journ., 1852, ii., 188); Masters (Prod. Angami 



162 



Special Features 

 of Interest. 



Flax 

 Substitute. 



D.E.P., 

 iv., 587. 

 Devil 

 Nettle. 



Most 



Poisonous of 

 Nettles. 



