54 
Although the Ramie plant has been ote for many years in the 
north of Cataluña, it is only within the last two years that, through 
the invention of a ees rae machine by Monsieur Favier, member 
of the “Société La Ramie Francaise,” it has been brought before the 
public. M. Favier hat a factory, called the “Fabrica Favier,” at 
Torroella de Montgri, in Gerona, in the vicinity of the Ramie 
Bey uote, where his decorticating machines are at wor 
Thes achines are used to decorticate the stalks in a dry state, 
after tava been cut and exposed to the powerful rays of the sun for 
48 hours, as experiments and practice show that the operation on the 
green Ramie is impractica 
Tt appears that >y Favier has been the first to solve the problem of 
sorori E Ramie with success; and, according to Professor Obiols, 
machine leaves nothing es be desired ; and of this invention the 
$ Centralblatt, ” of Berlin, in its number of January 23, 1883, says :— 
* Although the use of the Ramie, as a textile plant, dates es time 
“immemorial, the separation of the fibre from the stalk has been found 
“hitherto so surrounded with difficulties that no hope existed of any 
“considerable extension in its use; however, since M. Favier has dis- 
“covered a machine for the purpose of separating the fibre, a real 
“revolution has been produced in e industrial world, and the 
“cultivation of the Ramie plant has taken eiseni e proportions. i 
onn decorticating machine, similar to the Favier one, has, 
however, been invented by a Monsieur Billion, of Marseilles, who 
obtained a peut for it in Spain, but, being considered by M. Favier as 
a e latter prosecuted M. Billion n, who eventually came out 
fui ony ete ain although this machine has not ash a in Spain, 
some tear consider it to be superior to the Favier o 
Full riptions are given of these machines in Professor Obiol’s 
pamphlet (in Spates and can be ty rigs for a few 
The Billion machine can produ ce 300 kilogrammes of fibre a day, 
The Favier machine is not for sal the public, the inventor 
preferring to establish tadtcbicn near the pel nena and purchasing the 
produce from the agriculturists, and decorticate nd ufac ure 
threads, &c., himself, as the “Société La Ram S Friagaisa 
at Torroella. Neither, I believe, is the Billion aa to be acquired 
ne 
y: 
There is another machine, known as the “ Agramadera (flax-dresser) 
Kaulek,” invented by M. Kaulek, of Paris. Its size is a cubic metre, 
and it pel half a horse-power to put it in motion, and can be worked 
by the arm, bya windmill, or by steam. It is portable, weighs 350 kilos., 
and its price is 2,000 fr. (807 se x er: been a to produce 175 kilos 
of commercial Ramie, in ribbons 0 hou 
Another machine has keen inven ete in Paivelena by Don Demetrio 
Prieto for extracting fibre from textile plants, and many of his machines 
are in use with success, in Mexico. The inventor is about to introduce 
certain modifications in this machine, in order to adapt it to the decor- 
tication of the era plant. (See Art. LV. later 
he personnel required to work Hie Favier machine, and the cost per 
diem (in Catalnfia), a are as follows: 
Pe 
Two men to separate the extremities = = piniis - 
— - 
vee man to supply the aiko to the introducer - 
