87 
A useful memorandum on the cultivationof Behmeria niveain M ysore 
was issued in 1897 by Mr. J. Cameron, F.L.S., Superintendent of the 
Ba, ardens at Bangalore. This contains an excellent, almost 
life-size illustration of the plant in flower and frui 
note on the same subje ublished b bF “Mr. nerd in the 
Agricultural Bulletin of the Malay Peninsula for June, 1897. 
ery inte bic correspondence relating to the atodan of 
Ramie cultivation into Perak appeared in Perak Museum Notes (Vol. ii. 
pt. 2, pp. 103-124). 
YIELD OF STEMS AND FIBRE. 
More accurate observation has shown the os yield that may be 
obtained both in stems and fibre from a give 
From a small patch of China grass kaii ee five years old, 
growing in the open air at Kew, it has been foun square yards 
yield 100 stems. The weight of these, withottt samt was 2 
This gives a yield at the rate of 29,000 lbs. (say 13 tons) per acre Ta 
Algiers, pri found that an acre yielded 27,000 lbs. of similar stems 
without leav De Mas, at Padua, found that Ramie (Behmeria 
yp coped yielded i in ae ‘second year stems, without leaves, at the rate 
8. per acre ; the third year two crops yielded at the rate 
of 32 360 lbs. per acre. "The weight of raw fibre (ribbons?) per acre 
obtained by De Mas from ei a lbs. of green stalks, without leaves, 
was 1,280 lbs. or exactly 4 per cent. Favier gives somewha t similar 
results. His actual yield wat "985 lbs. per pet In California, Hilgard 
gives it at 1,935 Ibs. per acre. It is probable that the yield ‘of clean 
ribbons per acre on a large area, with two or three cuttings, will average 
about 900 to 1,000 lbs. per acre. Mr. Charles Richards Dodge, of the 
United States ‘Departme nt of Agriculture, is of opinion “that two 
“ cuttings of pasha tear a chewih- when properly cultivated, will produce 
“ 20 tons of green stalks with their leaves.” Further, “as each ton of 
“ green stalks, with leaves, will yield 464 lbs. of clean, dry ribbons or raw 
“ fibre, giving 25 lbs. of degummed fibre,” we have, therefore, a return 
per acre from two cuttings equal to 930 lbs. of clean ribbons and 500 Ibs. 
of degummed fibre or filasse. No returns of the actual fibre have, 
however, been made continuously on a sufficiently large scale to Fasi 
absolute confidence in them. At Wenchow, China, it has been foun 
that an acre, in one cutting, yields 80 ,000 stems, giving 3124 Ibs. of ron 
This would probably be the ordinary ungummed China grass as receive 
in this country. Three crops would, therefore, yield at the rate of 
9374 Ibs. per acre 
MACHINES. 
In this country many machines and appliances have been bronght aai 
notice, but owing to the absence -of a suitable supply of green stems n 
exhaustive trials have been held. Such trials are only possible when " 
large arca specially cultivated for the purpose is available. As already 
shown, the conditions in this country, except in specially mild situations, 
ere not wowa for the cultivation of Chin stems grown 
e, however, been placed at the disposal of persons making 
application for them. 
n experiment with these stems (Bæhmeria nivea) was made with a 
Subra machine in October, 1895. It must be understood that the results 
here given representa single trial only, and no opinion is intended to be 
