

BCEHMERIA 



Wild) KHKA <>F AvUM VILLEBRUNEA 



INTEORIFOLIA 



have been simply stripped off the stems. They have not 

 lieen cleaned in any way, and the loss no doubt will be found serious. 

 The plant produces shoots 20 feet long ; the bark strips off easily, but 

 no doubt machinery could be readily designed to produce a cleaned 

 ami partly bleached raw fibre. Perhaps the most important point in 

 onnection with this fibre is that it could be produced at a third the 



if Rhea" 



In October of the same year I had the pleasure to receive Dunstan's 

 report, and the following passage sets forth his results and conclusions : 

 Unfortunately the untreated bark-fibre was sent for examination, con- 

 j( of the bark peeled from the plant containing the bark-fibres in 

 strips from 3 to 5 feet in length. The only course to adopt was to imitate stems netted, 

 as nearly as possible the retting process adopted on an industrial scale, 

 Inch the almost complete absence of gum rendered possible. Two 

 mples of fibre were received. A small quantity of each was placed in 

 dishes covered with water and allowed to stand for about three weeks, 

 fter which time one of the samples was sufficiently soft for the fibre to 

 removed. This was carefully combed and picked, and by this means 

 about 10 grams of a nearly clean brown fibre in long silky threads were 

 procured." The fibre thus treated was then submitted to the usual 

 chemieai examination, and commenting on the same, Dunstan adds : 

 " It is interesting to compare these numbers with those obtained in the Hcport. 

 examination of the fibre of Itu'hmcritt nii-ea made by Messrs. Cross 

 and Bevan. Watt has pointed out that these two fibres are certainly 

 distinct ; the Ban-Rhea may be the more important of the two, owing to 

 its growing wild on waste land, to its containing little or no gum, and also 

 because it furnishes a silky fibre at least as strong as China-grass." " A 

 comparison of the results of the examination of these two fibres clearly 

 brings out the superiority of the Ban-Rhea, especially in regard to its superiority of 

 smaller loss by hydrolysis and its higher nitration number. At the same 

 time it must be remembered that the process adoptedin treating this fibre 

 the laboratory only very roughly approximates to that which would be 

 ed on a large scale. Portions of the original samples have been submitted 

 a fibre expert, who reports that they can be readily treated by a special Readily 

 d simple process which has recently been devised. Further informa- 

 n as to this process can be supplied if this aspect of the matter is thought 

 be of importance." 



I need only add to the above that I purposely sent the " untreated 

 bark fibre " from the belief that perhaps Dunstan might like to 

 have the opportunity of seeing everything contained in the bark and 

 thus learning its good as well as its bad points. The fact that it lent 

 itself to simple retting is a point of infinite value which might not simple 

 have been discovered so soon, nor told us with such force, but for 

 the happy accident of my having imposed on Dunstan the necessity 

 of having to separate the fibre for himself. Comment seems almost 

 superfluous. The report demonstrates the superiority of risa fibre 

 over ordinary rhea in regard to strength, texture and composition. The 

 results cannot but be considered as most important, and should com- 

 mend this new fibre to the favourable attention of all persons interested 

 in rhea, rami and the allied rAea-fibres. As a catch crop to the tea in- 

 dustry risa has perhaps no rival, certainly no equal. The fact that this 

 fibre may be cleaned by simply retting the ribbons of bark (after the 



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