Ni ede 
146 
" The China Grass plant, first e: and long cultivated by the Chinese 
Stier the name of Tchou Ma, is the Boehmeria nivea of botanists. 
The s c name, nivea, was ive to it on account of the white 
ince on the gogig of the leaves. 
Boehmeri 
as the Green-leaved Gilias Grass, a name which may be conveniently 
ined for it. 
The fibre yielded by these plants has been long recognised as 
` pre-eminent amongst vegetable fibres for strength, fineness, and lustre. 
Hence numerous attempts have been made to cultivate them, and to 
srep the fibre in 1 u r : 
be given to tho 
heo climate be deri and stimulating, in order to m a 
equent crops of stems. The plants veg be raised from 
J ut the more uttings. Th: roots 
e eroii the stools become | stron ronger and moré vigorous every 
and buc fron these, fresh sets are iiis btained for amie the 
Nüierous a tempts have been made during the last 10 years to 
exiract the Mira fibre which exists in this plant. The experimental 
processes hitherto e nei may be briefly classed as either mechanical 
orc mical. In the first, it has been sought to extract the fibre from 
e green stems, by means of rapidly revolving beaters attached to a 
drum driven : steam power. In some cases, water is used to wash the 
fibre while under the beaters. The chief difficulty experienced in this 
sen quantity of fibre cleaned per day. This has 
É 
eost to 
. In the chemical processes, the Ramie stems are 
or dry. The object sought is to treat the stems either - 
ler great pressure with steam or with chemicals, so as to dissolve the 
nin which the individual. fibres are immersed. After ter being thus - 
ed, the | 8 e 
€ and are sent to market in the form of ribbons. The question 
diete s here also very important, and it is felt, under present circum- 
Mire, ‘that = Grass can only be satisfactorily grown and prepared 
there is an abundance of cheap labour. 
isa fact universally known, that the fibre of the China Grass is one 
he finest and strongest known. If a process could be devised that 
ild extract and clean the fibre at a a. eem the results would 
i of the greatest possible interest to all our tropical colonies. The 
pon cule dei UE TOES made to fw for infor- 
that interest par maintained in the China Grass or r Ramie, nes 
