aS A ee GES eh ee Pt cae SE arm oN oe eee ep be GE TE Meee Ot Oy 
69 
evident that this machine will prepare more than half a ton of dry 
ribbons per day. It is not at all improbable that M. de Landtsheer will 
be able to effect some further improvement in this machine. In an 
case the machine is worthy wid cana Ae planters, oo with a single 
instrument could work off about 50 tons of green stems per wee 
This is an exceptionally good aagi and it pene to aioe what progress 
has now been made in perfecting machines for treating the Ramie plant 
on a commercial scale. 
In the second trials 46 kilos. of stems with leaves were put through 
the machine in 114 minutes. The result was 15 kilos. of wet ribban 
(with ear of wood and pith adhering to them as before). This 
would be at the rate of 783 kilos. of wet ribbons per ar of 10 hours; 
or of 515 tae (avoir.) of dry ribbons in the same period. There 
is a considerable difference between the results obtained by this machine 
in the first and second trials. aN was also noticeable in the Barbier 
machine. The construction of these machines evidently does not enable 
them to cope with stems with Leased attached. On the other hand the 
Favier machine did better with stems with leaves than those without 
leaves. is, however, is not a matter of great importance. In the 
field the leaves could be easily detached during the cutting; ard if not 
removed then, they would fall off of their own accord after lying in a 
heap (inducing a slight fermentation) for a few rs. 
peak tiem! PROCESS. 
Only one process was shown singularly simple, and con- 
sisted of steeping the fresh (or dys seen fore short period in boiling 
water and removing the ribbons by hand. An open galvanised tank 
about 6 feet long, 2 feet wide, and about 4 feet deep, filled with 
water, was raised on bricks Abs stones) about 18 inches from the ground 
When water had reached boiling point a crate 
e and character) left in it for 5 or 15 minutes. At the end of 
that time the crate was lifted out, the stems left to drain while another 
3 
including the time occupied in immersing the stems) the workmen, 
apparently not specially trained in the work, produced 5:600 kilos. of 
excellent ribbons. This would be at the rate of 73 kilos. of wet ribbons 
per 3 of 10 hours; or of 161 pounds (avoir.) of dry ribbons for the 
same 
This S pioaai, it will be noticed, is of the simplest possible description. 
a only apparatus necessary is a tank. This tank could easily be 
ved Soin place to place in the field, and the wood of the pee after 
tha ribbons are removed would proba ly furnish most of the fuel 
necessary. The ess = however, ony be atilised i in a few special 
countries eae labour is very cheap. 
M. de Fleury states that ribbons produced by this process can 
be dried, baled, and delivered ready for shipment at a cost not exceeding 
8 to 10 centimes per kilo. (about 35 shillings per ton). In Tonkin it 
_ could be done for even less than this. 
