290 
JuBBULPORE Hemp (Crotalaria tenuifolia, Roxb.) 
Among the cordage sent to the Great Exhibition of 1851, 
there were some specimens sent by Messrs. Harton and Co., 
rope-makers, of Calcutta. These appeared to be of excellent 
quality, and were said to be made of Jubbulpore Hemp. The 
first notice which we have of this substance is in the ‘ Proceedings 
of the Agri-Horticultural Society,’ where some Hemp grown in 
the Jubbulpore Garden from country seed sown at the end of 
June, 1840, and cut in October, and of canvas woven from the 
fibre in the School of Industry at Jubbulpore, were presented 
to the Society by Dr. F. M‘Leod, Esq. When Mr. Williams, 
Superintendent of the above School, and by whom the plant 
had been grown and the fibre prepared, visited England in the 
summer of 1853, he presented the Author with a specimen of 
this fibre. This is long, that is, upwards of five feet in length, 
of the colour of Petersburgh Hemp, rather roughly prepared, 
inasmuch as some of the bast is still in the form of narrow 
ribands, but most of it separated into fine and strong fibres. 
In the experiments which the Author had made with it, its 
strength was proved to be at least equal, if not superior, to that 
of Russian Hemp, inasmuch as when a selvage of Petersburgh 
Hemp broke with 160]b., one of Jubbulpore Hemp did not 
break with less than 1901b. When examined by experienced 
brokers and manufacturers, it was considered an excellent sub- 
stitute for Russian Hemp, and if a little more carefully prepared 
would leave hardly anything more to be desired, and was 
valued as worth at from £30 to £35 a ton, that is before any 
rise took place in the price of fibres. 
The plant yielding this fibre having been discovered, we sub- 
join a description by Dr. Roxburgh, and though some botanists 
unite it with Crotalaria juncea, we keep it separate, until its 
identity has been determined by experiment. We also add 
the first notice of this fibre, and of rope made from it. 
Crotalaria tenuifolia is a native of Coromandel, which is perennial, ramous, 
straight, furrowed, hoary. Leaves linear, sericeous underneath. Stipules 
minute, subulate. Racemes terminal. Legumes sessile, clavate, many- 
seeded. 
