CROTALARIA 



JUNCEA 

 Trade 



THE SAN-HEMP PLANT 



Better 



Qualities 



not 



Procurable. 



Chemical 

 Examination. 



Ultimate 

 Cell. 



Utilisations. 



Fishing-nete. 



Tanned. 



Exports. 



Imports. 



bast fibres." " During i the Colonial and Indian Exhibition numerous 

 inquiries were made as to why it was that so little of the better qualities 

 of saw-hemp were procurable. Mr. Collyer and several other brokers and 

 merchants stated that their only difficulty in pushing the trade in saw- 

 hemp was their inability to procure a uniform and a large enough supply." 

 Dunstan (Imp. Inst. Tech. Repts., 1903, 70) similarly observes, " The 

 literature on this fibre is extensive, betokening much interest in its 

 qualities, but up to the present the material has been exported only to 

 a small extent." Two sets of samples were sent to him for examination, 

 viz. from Burma and Calcutta. The results of the chemical analyses of 

 these are given, and it may be said that the ash in the Calcutta sample was 

 considerably higher than in that from Burma, but all the features brought 

 out were regarded as indicative of high quality. Microscopically the ultimate 

 fibres were found to be rather long 5 to 8 mm. and seen to end abruptly 

 instead of tapering, while the walls were rough and irregular in outline. 



As to the utilisations of the fibre, these may be briefly stated as identical 

 with those of true hemp namely the production of cordage and canvas, 

 the waste or tow going to the paper mills. But in India by far the most 

 important use is the employment of saw-hemp for the cordage of fishing- 

 nets. In this connection it may be mentioned that Mr. V. P. Kibeiro, 

 Sub-divisional Forest Officer, Bassein, West Thana, contributed to the 

 Reporter on Economic Products a most interesting account of the deep- 

 sea nets used by the Koli fishermen (since published in the Agri. Ledg., 

 1905, No. 7). These are huge traps 160 feet long and 70 feet in diameter. 

 They are constructed entirely of saw -hemp, and may cost as much as 

 Rs. 250 each. The mesh decreases from 6| to inches progressively, from 

 the mouth to the apex of the net. The fibre is carefully tanned. The 

 repairing and tanning of the net cost about Rs. 8 a month. The inference 

 from this is that the fibre is only durable under sea-water when fully 

 tanned. The woodwork of these deep-sea nets, it may be added, is pre- 

 ferably that of Adina cordifolia. Throughout India fishing-nets are 

 largely made of saw-hemp, though not exclusively so. Those of Karachi 

 are chiefly madar or akanda fibre (Calotropis gigantea, p. 207) and those 

 of Assam and Eastern Bengal rhea fibre (Boehmeria nivea, pp. 146, 157). 



TRADE IN SAN HEMP. As already observed, nothing of any value 

 can be said authoritatively regarding the extent of production or utilisation 

 of this fibre, since it is not separately recorded in the Trade and Agricul- 

 tural Statistics. It is grown in every province, and nearly universally used 

 by the people of India. It seems probable, however, that of the exports 

 to foreign countries shown as " Raw Hemp" of Indian produce, a large 

 proportion is saw. The only other fibre of importance (and that one of 

 comparatively recent origin) is indicated by the exports of Indian Agave 

 fibre (Sisal hemp). Of the imports of raw hemp the major portion is 

 doubtless Manila (Musa teoctilis), and lastly of the imports of hemp 

 manufactures the major portion is doubtless canvas and rope of Russian 

 hemp. The traffic under these headings may be here exhibited : 



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