POOAH FIBRE. 369 
is best. After the seed is ripe it is not fit for use, at least it is 
deteriorated. 
“ How prepared.—As soon as the plant is cut, the bark or 
skin is removed. This is very easily done. It is then dried 
in the sun for a few days; when quite dry it is boiled with 
wood-ashes for four or five hours ; when cold, it is beaten with 
a mallet on a flat stone until it becomes rather pulpy, and all 
the woody portion of the bark has disappeared; then it is 
well washed in pure spring water and spread out to dry. After 
exposure for a day or two toa bright sun it is ready for use. 
When the finest description of fibre is wanted, the stuff after 
being boiled and beaten, is daubed over with wet clay, and 
spread out to dry. When thoroughly dry the clay is rubbed 
and beaten out; the fibre is then ready for spinning into 
thread, which is done with the common distaff. 
“‘ Uses.—The ‘Pooah’ is principally used for fishing nets, 
for which it is admirably adapted on account of its great 
strength of fibre and its extraordinary power of long resisting 
the effects of water. It is also used for making game-bags, 
twine, and ropes. It is considered well adapted for making 
eloth, but is not much used in this way.” 
Dr. Falconer recognized the “‘ Pooah” as the ‘“ Boehmeria 
frutescens of Botanists, common at lower elevations on the 
Himalayas from Gurhwal to the Sikkim hills (Ganges to 
Burrampooter). In the outer hills of Gurhwal and Kumaon 
it is called ‘Poee,’ and the tough fibre is used there for 
making nets. In Darjeeling, B. frufescens goes by a similar 
name, ‘ Pooah,’ and the fibre is used for similar purposes. It 
was first described by Thunberg, who distinguishes it from the 
textile species, Boehmeria (or Urtica) nivea, which grows there 
in abundance.” 
Capt. Thompson, to whom the specimens of Pooah fibre 
were sent, says of it, that, ‘when properly dressed, it is quite 
equal to the best Europe Flax, and will produce better sailcloth- 
than any other substance I have seen in India. I observe, 
from Dr. Campbell’s communication, that mud is used in the 
preparation, which clogs it too much, &. My superintendent, 
Mr. W. Rownee, who understands the nature of these sub- 
stances, tells me, that if potash were used in the preparation 
(which is invariably done with Russian Hemp and Flax) instead 
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