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formerly it had here eth in other ports still ria only the baler ne 
“hem m > whi ch i hina includes several different fibre 
“ China grass ” is shoes Eron 11 dollars to 20 Josa a peat dasri ie a 
and is made into a particular kind of grass-cloth at Swatow 
2. Pineapple, the fibre of which in the local dialect is known as 
“ ong-lai-ssii,” and is worth about 24 dollars a picul. It is exported to 
Swatow, where it t is made into a kind of grass-cloth distinguished as 
‘ong- -lai- 
3. Jute (Corchorus capsularis), the fibre of which is known to 
Europeans in China as “ hem mp skin,” a too literal shears of = 
hinese “ma-p‘i.” “Ma” is generic for textile fabri Ga n 
“ bark,” referring to the outer bark of the plant, which is stripped off i i 
long ribbons. Owing to the different preparation of the plant in China 
and in India the products look very different. The so-called “ hemp 
bags” of customs returns are made out of this coarse Chinese jute, 
which is also used for sinking rope and string of inferior quality. The 
jute is worth from 2 to 4 dollars a picul. 
Corchorus olitorius, an allied species, which is readily pape 
by its long narrow fruit, that of C. capsular is being globular, occurs in 
Formosa as a weed, and I have not ascertained that its fibre is ever 
used. 
It may be here noted that the so-called Tien-tsin jute is the product 
of Abutilon Avicenne, and should be named “ Abutilon hemp.” I 
have seen true or Russian emp, the product of Cannabis sativa, the 
“ huo-ma ” of the Chinese, from Newchwang, but this plant is more 
cultivated in China for the oil from the seeds than for the fibre ; and o 
flax (Linum usitatissimum), which is cultivated in North-western 
China, the same may be said. Occas raSi small quantities of a fabric 
named “ shan-hsi ma pu,” are brought to Tien-tsin, and this is doubtless 
linen, but I have seen no specimen, wat erely infer fis the name. 
e fabric has been described to me as a ina of grass 
in = hu-ma,” and the seeds are for sale in drug aio 
m vies cloth ” is a term applied to at least three different kinds of 
oarse ote fabrics made by the savages. The kind made near 
Tamsnui is of China grass, but whether from wild or cultivated plants of 
Boehmeria nivea I am not certain. The wild plant is very common, 
an coarser fibre. In the Kalee wcommiatts “savage cloth” is 
made out of the inner bark of the roots of small wild mulberry trees, 
doubtless a variety of the very var e Morus alba. I have ee 
specimens of plant, root, fibre, and cloth to the Kew Museum. Gam 
bags (“ bang-teh ”), ann se bean ert are sin made out of this fibre bÝ 
the savages, while similar ones are made out of China grass by the 
oe and Pepohuan. A third kind of “savage cloth” is sere from 
nner bark of Sterculia oo known in Formosa as the 
ig: ch‘ing-'ung * tree. Ihave not been able to get aa rat or 
fibre or cloth in Formosa, but specimene of fibre, and meee ieee out of 
it, from Hupeh, have been sent by me to Kew. This tree has been 
utilized for its fibre from classical ee but the rodait i is i chars, and 
only suitable for making shoes, ropes, 
Mr. Hosie mentions a fourth ind of “savage cloth” made out of 
ban :na fibre, ba there is no certain information to hand about this. 
