observation went, the produce of dry fibre from this machine 

 ought to be put down at 50 Ibs. rather than 180 Ibs. per diem. 



456. The products of the Gomess process, which is a 

 chemical process for treating the ribbons, can be seen illus- 

 trated in the Economic Section of the Indian Museum. 



457. M. C. N. Reviere, the French Government Botanist 

 at Algiers, states that the Ramie linen supplied to the 

 steamers of the Compagnie Transatlantiqus was in good con- 

 dition after 90 voyages, while ordinary linen was worn out in 

 45 trips. There seems little doubt as to the lasting qualities 

 of ramie, and this, in addition to its silky character, would 

 make it a highly valuable textile product if it could be intro- 

 duced as an agricultural and commercial article of the country. 



458. The prospect of Villebrunia integrifolia or Ban-Riha, 

 a wild fibre plant of Assam, which, like rhea, belongs to the 

 nettle family, seems much better than that of rhea. It has 

 little or no gum and it gives a good return even in soils where 

 rhea fails. The fibre is very fine and as strong as that of 

 rhea. It is a tree which is found in the wild state both in 

 Assam and in Ceylon. It grows about 20 feet high. 



459. The fibre of a stinging nettle, Girardinia hetero- 

 phylla, the leaves of which resemble those of grape vines, is 

 extracted and used by the Napalese. This nettle grows to a 

 height of about 10 feet in the Nepal terai. 



CHAPTER L. 



Fibre-crops continued. 

 (5) COTTON ( GOSSYPIUM). 



*T*HERE is considerable difference of opinion as to the 



botanical characters which distinguish Indian cottons. 



Cottons are probably referable to three main classes : (i) the 



tree cotton (Gossypium arboreum); (2) the American cotton 



