57 
Naturally the earlier ee to prepare Ramie fibre had even 
the methods already in us e in preparing eats hemp and jute ; but it was 
soon evident that as regards Ramie these methods were useless 
fact that the fibre of the Ramie plant is addol in a gummy substance 
offered the greatest obstacle to the production of clean and bright 
threads suitable for the spinner, 
ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PARIS TRIALS, 1888. 
he Concours I er national de la Ramie, recently held at Paris, took 
sah ce in one o annexes of the proposed exhibition of 1889 on the 
Quai d’Orsay (Place de Alma). It was attended by representatives 
from all parts of the wor 
Te was evident that the proceedings were watched with considerable 
interest by inventors, no less than by persons directly interested in the 
cultivation of the Ramie plant. Very complete arrangements had been 
made beforehand by the French Ministry of Agriculture. Steam power 
was provided and a large supply o of green stems (of the white-leaved 
test the chemical processes, a quantity of Ramie ribbons were available 
ae. to be converted into filass 
e commission of jurors included M. Tisserand, Councillor of oes 
and Director of Agriculture, a number of prominent engineers, chemists 
and botanists Blah as the Professeur de fia ure of the Jardin des 
Plantes), and the Director of Agriculture in Algiers. They w 
evidently men who were acquainted with the economical aa tpi 
connected w ith the cultivation and utilisation of the Ramie plant, and 
the trials were conducted in a systematic and exhaustive manner. 
LIST OF PRIZES OFFERED. 
Prizes had been offered by the French Government in the os 
five categories :—(a.) For a machine to Sees Ramie in a gree 
steam power, Ist prize, 1,000 fr., 2nd prize, 700 fr.; (c.) For a machine 
ofa light and portable Charik driven by horse power, aag suitable 
for use in the Colonies, Ist prize, 700 fr., 2nd prize, 500 fr. .) For 
a hand-power machine of a light and portable character, sabia for 
use in the Colonies, Ist prize, 500 fr., 2nd prize, 300 fr.; (e.) For the 
best, and most economical process (chemical or otherwise) to convert 
the Ramie ribbons into apc narr ale. suitable for the use of textile 
manufacturers, Ist prize, 1,000 fr., 2nd prize, 700 fr. 
The entries previously made a "he Ministry of Agriculture ae 
19 eigelivee and 10 (chemical) processes. On the morning of the trials, 
only four machines and one chemical process were, however, submitted 
to the jurors. 
THE DE LANDTSHEER NEEE 
Taking the machines in the order in which they stood, the first was 
that invented by de Landtsheer, of "Pari s (Décortiqueuse de Ramie 
Systéme de cripaecoant The cost was oli ted to be 407. This was 
driven by steam power, and reqitined two men to seca to it. It had 
a horizontal feed pre 4 Tagen of a series of rollers and crushers, 
which received eight n stems at a time from the hands of the 
operator, and passed shail ols to be beaten by a pair of rapidly revolving 
