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The weight of each gratte is about 4 cwt. and the outturn 

 per day 2\ maunds of dry fibre. Faure's machine is only a 

 modified form of gratte. 



CHAPTER LIL 



OTHER FIBRE CROPS. 



A BROMA Augusta (ulat-kambal) : It is a perennial bush 

 or small tree, the stems of which yield a valuable silky 

 fibre. The stems can be cut three times in the year and as the 

 retting and extraction of fibre can be done as in the case of 

 jute, it is very desirable to introduce this crop rather than 

 rhea as a high class perennial fibre crop. It flowers in the 



rainy season and the seed ripens in the cold season. Rox- 

 burgh says that the fibre of ulat kctmbal is one-tenth part 

 stronger than sunn and much more durable in water. 



486. Hibiscus abelmoschus (kasturi}. Nearly all mal- 

 vaceous plants yield useful fibres. The common H. Esculentus 



or Ladies' finger, the Roselle(H. Sabdariffa), the H. Mutabilis 

 (Sthal-padma), H. Rosasivensis (Jaba), and H. Ficulneus 

 (Ban-dhenras or Belun-pat\ have been all used for their valu- 

 able fibre. Indeed the last named plant is preferred to jute 

 by the cultivators of Murshidabad for their own domestic use. 

 In an experiment conducted by the Agri-Horticultural Society 

 of India, H. Abelmoschus yielded the best crop of all the 

 fibre-yielding plants experimented with, and the yield came to 

 800 Ibs. of fibre per acre, with a Death and Ellwood's machine, 

 while a larger yield (\2\ maunds per acre) was obtained by 

 the ordinary process of retting. The seed also has a commer- 

 cial value and it is known to perfumery makers in Europe by 

 the name of grains d'ambrette. The seed when ground gives 

 PP 



