August 1, 1864.] THE TECHNOLOGIST. 



NATAL FIBRES. 27 



in fibre useful for textile or cordage purposes, while the tow which 

 is separated in preparing the fibres forms an excellent material for 

 the finest or toughest kinds of paper. Humboldt calculated that 

 the same extent of ground, when planted with the banana, will 

 support a far greater number of people than when planted with 

 wheat. The productiveness has been found to differ with the mean 

 temperature of the place. Boussingault has given the following as 

 the produce per imperial acre of the raw fruit in three places : 



Temp. Produce per Dry food per 



imp. acre. acre. 



Warm regions 8l£ 72 tons. L9£ tons. 



At Canca 78.4/5 59 „ 16 - „ 



At Hague 71.2/5 25 „ 6| „ 



— Professor Johnston is the authority for the last column, or that 

 of dry food per acre, as he had, from his analysis, obtained 27 per 

 cent, of nutritive matter from the banana. 

 Corchorus capsularis. — Jute hemp is produced from the bark of this 

 plant ; a kind of cloth called cliatee is made from the same material, 

 and gunny bags are made from it. The leaves are used in the East 

 a3 pot-herbs. 

 Hibiscus esculentas, the Okkro, and Hibiscus Sabdariffa, the sorrel plant 

 — abound in fibre of fine quality. The fruit of the first is used, when 

 cooked, as a vegetable, as also to thicken soups. The seeds may 

 also be added, like barley to soups, and have been recommended to 

 be roasted as a substitute for coffee. The sorrel plant is cultivated 

 in most gardens because its calices, as they ripen, become fleshy, 

 are of a pleasant acid taste, and are much employed for making 

 tarts, as well as an excellent jelly. 

 Boehmeria nivera — China grass or grass-linen, sometimes called Rlieea. — 

 Hemp is prepared from this plant. The rlieea is a perennial, and 

 abounds in splendid fibre. Of the value of this fibre, no better 

 evidence can be given than that of Dr. Royle, who states that, as 

 imported into England, it has sold at from $300 to $400, and even 

 $600 a ton. In respect of strength, it has been proved by numerous 

 experiments that it sustains a weight always much greater than the 

 best Eussian hemp. The cloth made from the fibre known as 

 " grass cloth " is not unlike silk in appearance, and has a softness 

 and strength distinct from that of the fabric of any other fibre. 

 Besides the above plants in cultivation here, there are numerous others 

 which produce fibres, but which it would occupy too much space to 

 notice in detail. Among them may be mentioned flax, hemp, Jerusalem 

 artichoke, oleander, bauhinia, common sun-flower, parkinsonia,the mul- 

 berry, &c. &c. 



I have added the dietetical uses of some of the plants, in order to 

 show that if cultivated on account of their fibre, they would also be 

 useful for other purposes. 



