552 FIBRES 



estimate of the value of work being done can readily be 

 obtained by calculating the percentage of dry fibre on 

 the weight of the wet fibre. 



Factories. 



The fibre factories are small ones, their output ranging 

 from 50 to 100 tons of dry fibre per annum, with an 

 average annual output of about 55 tons. In 1913 there 

 were forty-two factories in operation. Of these twenty- 

 five were situated in the Black River district. 



The fibre is scraped by machines locally known as 

 grattes, which are capable of producing on the average 

 vo ton of dry fibre per diem. They are similar in opera- 

 tion to the raspadors of Mexico, and are fed by hand. 

 They differ from raspadors in that they contain a greater 

 number of scutching blades, and are generally worked 

 at a greater speed. They are manufactured in machine 

 shops in the Colony, and cost from 14 to 18 each. 

 They are worked in series, and driven by steam or suction 

 gas engines or by water-power. Water-power is naturally 

 the cheapest form of power, and on some properties 

 there are two or three small factories at different levels, 

 in order that the supply of water may be utilized more 

 than once. Steam-power is relatively costly, but was 

 utilized up to 1912 in those factories where water-power 

 was not available. In that year steam-engines com- 

 menced to be replaced by suction gas plants, and con- 

 siderable economies in fuel have resulted. The suction 

 gas engines are small ones, with a brake horse-power 

 ranging from 19 to 40. They have been installed up to 

 the present with charcoal producers, but plants to take 

 ordinary wood refuse have been indented for installation 

 within the next few months. The average consumption 

 of charcoal in the types of engines introduced into the 

 Colony varies, mainly according to the grade of charcoal 

 used, from 0*8 to I Ib. of charcoal per h.p. per hour. 



The feeding of the grattes by hand is a costly and 

 laborious process, and efforts have been made to instal 

 automatic feeding machines. Such a machine (McGregor's 

 patent) has been improved by a local firm of engineers 



