348 DICKSON ON COLONEL ABBOTT'S REPORT 



varieties of Flax, rheea, or Assam grass, the Neilgherry nettle, 

 the jute, the plantain, the aloe, the Pine-apple, and many 

 others of high value, growing in all parts of India, by the 

 patented processes of Mr. J. Hill Dickson, have been from 

 time to time exhibited at our scientific societies, and have 

 been thoroughly tested by our most experienced manufac- 

 turers. The results of these experiments would justify the 

 formation of an association with an adequate capital for 

 supplying the wants of our trade, and we expect shortly to 

 be able to announce the organization of a company to supply 

 our manufacturers with a substitute for their ordinary silk, wool, 

 Flax, and cotton materials ; and everybody will watch with 

 much interest the progress of any such undertaking." 

 Builder. 



The fact of a sale being made to the "East India Fibre 

 Company," became known in Bradford by my sending to Mr. 

 Jowit, one of the proprietors, and he noticed it as under in his 

 journal : 



" We (Bradford Advertiser) have been informed that Mr. 

 Dickson's terms with the East India Fibre Company, in 

 London, for the exclusive right to work his Indian patents, 

 are 10,000, and 10s. per ton royalty on all the fibre the 

 company prepares for market, and we are also informed that 

 Mr. Dickson has secured additional patents for softening, 

 bleaching, and finishing, by liquid and combing machines, 

 arid mixing the vegetable fibres of the East and West Indies 

 and China, with animal fibres, in combing and drawing in 

 the sliver so as to be spun into one thread, on silk or worsted 

 wool-spinning machinery. Samples of yarn, half silk, half 

 rheea ; half wool, half rheea ; half shoddy, half rheea ; half 

 alpaca, half rheea ; and all rheea, are to be seen at the offices, 

 60, Cornhill, London. 



" This fifth and new patent will prevent any company or 

 person from mixing East or West India or China vegetable 



