CHINA-GRASS SUBSTITUTES 



Uses : 



Coarse Cloth 

 Fishing-nets. 



Mixed with 



Silk. 



Comparative 

 Strength. 



Microscopic 

 and Chemical 

 Properties. 



BCEHMERIA 



VILLEBRUNBA 

 INTEGRIFOLJA 



than drying in the shade, came to 1 maund 30 seers (Lumsden). The fibre is 

 used in the manufacture of a coarse cloth, but chiefly for fishing-nets (Hannay). 

 In the Garo hills the fibre is only prepared in small quantities and for home 

 consumption. The people use it in making nets, and in certain cases for mixing 

 with silk in making cloth (Lloyd). In the Jabaka Naga country it is valued 

 because of its great strength. It is coarsely woven into the bags that are carried 

 over the shoulder. These are often beautifully ornamented, being embroidered 

 with dyed thread of the same fibre (Phillips). The Nagas believe that the harder 

 the thread is spun the stronger it becomes ( Severin). 



Properties of the Fibre. In 1853 Capt. Thomson reported that 

 for canvas or lines the fibre required only to be known to be gener- 

 ally used for these purposes. Royle published the results of a com- 

 parative study of the fibre supplied by Hannay as follows : Petersburg 

 clean hemp, broken with a weight of 160 Ib. ; Jabbalpur hemp, with 

 190 Ib. ; China-grass, with 250 Ib. ; rhea with 320 Ib. ; and wild-rhea with 

 340 Ib. These were the results obtained half a century ago, but still no 

 progress has been made with this fibre. In March 1897 I collected person- 

 ally a supply of bark in the Sibsagar district, and submitted the same 

 for examination to Mr. Melrose Arnot, at that time Chemist of the Bally 

 Paper Mills. He reported that the fibres separated from the bark were 

 beautifully white and of a fine silky lustre and measured 25 to 30 mm. 

 long and 0-013 mm. in diameter. They were cylindrical or nearly so, 

 and tapered at both ends ; they had a small central canal and thick 

 striated walls ; a pecto-cellulose very similar to flax, but much finer 

 while being equally long. Arnot then added, " As compared with 

 the fibre of Bwhtnci-'m nirea this is exceedingly fine, indeed it is 

 one of the finest fibres I have ever measured, and although not 

 anything like so fine in the individual fibre, the filaments are long and 

 strong, and I have no doubt that in every respect the material would 

 prove more easily workable on textile machinery, and it would un- 

 doubtedly produce very much finer textures than Bwhineritt it-irm." 

 " The colouring matter contained in the bark appears to be well worth 

 serious stiidy." 



These results were only just what might have been anticipated : 

 no one can scrape the bark off a young shoot and procure a sample of 

 the fibre without realising that it must be very valuable. But in order 

 to have an independent opinion I desired Col. Lumsden to procure me 

 the supply of ribbons alluded to above, and these were forwarded to the 

 late Sir F. A. Abel, Director of the Imperial Institute, London, with the 

 suggestion that Prof. W. R. Dunstan might be invited to examine and 

 report on the fibre. 



On April 28, 1898, 1 forwarded the fibre along with a letter in which the 

 following occurs : " During my explorations in Assam I gave special 

 consideration to the ban-rhea. I found, as I had suggested in the 

 Dictionary, that while related no doubt to BaeJtmeria nivea it was a 

 perfectly distinct plant, namely Villebitinea integrifolia. It can be 

 grown on all waste lands ; it has little or no gum, will give a high return 

 where Rhea fails ; is a very fine fibre, and perhaps as strong, if not stronger, 

 than China-grass. On these considerations I contemplate making an 

 effort to bring this fibre to the attention of commerce, and I shall be 

 very grateful if you can see your way to secure the co-operation of the 

 Officers of the Research Department. I desire to have the fibre ex- 

 amined both chemically and industrially. For the latter purpose I 

 shall be glad to send a larger consignment on hearing from you. The 



166 



Better 



Besults than 

 Ehea. 



Further 



Consignment. 





Recent 

 Investigations. 







