FIBRES 



Preparation. The rattan is gathered by cutting the 

 stem about i metre from the ground, the remaining part 

 of the plant throwing out new shoots. 



After cutting, the rattan is bleached for some days 

 (at the most for three days), and is then washed and 

 dried. Good specimens are dried in the sun, and inferior 

 qualities over fire, which, however, very often causes a 

 brown colour. After the drying the gravel on the rattan 

 is removed by sharp pieces of wood, knives, pieces of 

 glass, sand, or a piece of metallic netting. 



Trade. Rattan is an export article of great importance 

 for the Netherland East Indies. The trade in this 

 product with foreign countries is entirely in the hands of 

 Europeans and Chinese. 



A cheaper quality of rattan is sent to Java by the Arabs 

 and natives. 



The rattan suitable for binding and for basket work, 

 and the better qualities of other kinds, which are thicker, 

 as well as rattan canes, are exported entirely to Europe 

 and America, where the demand depends on the ultimate 

 destination. 



Inferior kinds of rattan from East Borneo are exported 

 in rather large quantities to Hong Kong. At the 

 Singapore market, where large quantities of rattan from 

 the Netherland East Indies are sold, the demand for the 

 Borneo product is not so great. The exports of rattan 

 from the Netherland East Indies for the years 1910, 1911, 

 and 1912 (in tons) are shown in the following table: 



Countries of destination 

 Nether!; nds ... 

 United Kingdom 

 Germany 

 Hamburg f/t ... 

 United States of America 

 Penang 

 Singapore 

 Other countries 



Total 



44,190 



55,491 



44,482 



The following table shows the value in dollars of the 

 shipments of rattan canes to the various countries of 

 destination : 



