TE rt eer 
= 
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Pare el No. 2 contains leaves of the plant from which the so-called 
“hemp” is manufactured, These come from Mun-shio or Wén-ch’ang, 
a district k fow days’ journey to the east, which district appears to be 
the only one upon me island where pine apple “ hemp ” and the cloth 
from it are manufactured. 
Parcel No. 1 Sera the leaves of a pine apple plant, grown for the 
Jruit only, obtained = a village five miles to the west of Hoihow: 
natives of Mun-shio in my service assert that this is the same as the 
pine-apple of Mineshio the fruit of which, though eaten, is of secondary 
re the 
arcel No. 3 pa imperfect leaves m = a Side plant of the 
Lei-chow peninsula, opposite Hoihow, fro ich the natives there are 
said to manufacture a “ grass-cloth,”’ mberar is ee to be brought 
over here in — for export hence. 
Pare . 5 contains a leaf of the plant (no whereabouts given) 
from which the Customs paa were convinced the local “ grass-cloth ” 
was made : they supposed it e Pandanus, until I proved to them 
that it was not, The Pahinta ia a prickly seam down the centre of 
the leaf. 
The leaf of the pine-apple is first scraped with a bamboo knife; it 
is then torn apart, and washed in cold water in which rice has been 
washed. It is next dried in the sun and tet at night, after which 
the skeins are combed, and the ends of each thread are join ya 
twist of the fingers, to each other. The ide rial is then sized with 
rice-gruel, drawn through bamboo tubes, and cleaned of its knots, 
secs, and eran 
Parcels Nos. 5A, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 i peaks the pure poean 
fibre in- ie vie stages. Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9 appear to be mere qualities 
of No. 5a, each ie which is capable of hed Ae No. 10 GE saie 
ina? is is given 
Parcel No. LL. wits ins specimens, with prices, of pure pine-apple 
“ srass-cloth,” presumably corresponding in quality to Nos. 6, 7, 8, 
or 
1 No. 12 contains a mixed web of ordinary cotton and pine- 
Parcel 
apple fibre interwoven. 
Parcel No. 13 contains specimens of hemp and hemped cloth from 
Mun-shio by way of contrast. 
(Signed) E. H. PARKER. 
Kiungchow, December 22, 1891. Consul. 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, to FOREIGN OFFICE. 
Royal Gardens, yng 
There can be no doubt that the leaves sent by Mr. Parker are those 
of the pine-apple plant (Ananas sativus, Schult. f.), and the fibre corre- 
sponds with that a. darai by members of the pineapple family. 
Th Parker 
e Pandahen represente a bs janm and one oo ute is, as epi ae 
supposed, Pandanus odoratiss , a native 
Abro prepaid from the leaves of ‘tie he Paintaniie! is usually of poor pee 
