JUTE SUBSTITUTES 153 



unbleached " half-stuff " would probably fetch from 

 7 to 8 per ton if sold in sufficient quantity and if 

 of uniform quality. Special experiments, however, 

 proved that the " Napunti " ribbons as received 

 yielded 47-3 per cent, of air-dry " half-stuff " (con- 

 taining 8 per cent, of moisture), which is approxi- 

 mately equal to the amount furnished by esparto grass 

 (page 219). Consequently over two tons of ribbons 

 would be required to furnish one ton of " half-stuff." 

 In view of these results it was considered extremely 

 doubtful whether the course suggested by the expert 

 would be remunerative. The cost of preparing the 

 crude ribbons was given as about \d. per Ib. (4 1 35. 4^. 

 per ton), and as the material yields less than half its 

 weight of " half-stuff," valued at 7 to 8 per ton, 

 there would be no margin for expenses, freight and 

 profit. It is therefore evident that, unless the cost of 

 production of the " Napunti " ribbons could be 

 greatly reduced, there is not much chance of the fibre 

 being utilised for paper-making. 



Sida spp. (natural order, Malvaceae). S. carpini- 

 folia, S. rhombifolia and S. urens occur in West Africa 

 and yield useful fibres of the nature of jute. Samples 

 of the fibre of S. carpinifolia from India, and of S. 

 rhombifolia from India and Nyasaland, examined at 

 the Imperial Institute, were found to be of useful 

 quality and to resemble jute very closely in chemical 

 composition and behaviour. Small consignments of 

 S. rhombifolia fibre received from India in 1912 and 

 1913 were fine, soft, very lustrous, and of excellent 

 quality, and it was considered that, if produced in 

 commercial quantities, such fibre would realise a price 

 about 20 per cent, in advance of that of " first marks " 

 Calcutta jute. Unfortunately, the plant gives a 

 somewhat smaller yield per acre than jute, and the 

 fibre is more troublesome to prepare, owing to the 

 interior of the stem being soft instead of hard and 

 woody. 



Triumfetta spp. (natural order, Tiliaceae). T. cordifolia 

 and T. rhomboidea are both found in West Africa. 

 A specimen of the fibre of T. cordifolia var. Hollandii 

 from the Gold Coast, examined at the Imperial 



