and under these cirumstances it is felt to be duni. to o plos Du 
record the latest facts — have been gleaned Fang the present 
position of the industry 
ROYAL GARDENS, Kew, to FOREIGN OFFICE. 
Sir Royal E seg Kew, April 16, 1888. 
AM desired by Mr. Thiselton Dyer to inform you that 
siderable interest is being taken in British “Colonies in the culture of 
the Ramie plant, known as Rhea and China Grass (Boehmeria nive 
2. Hitherto the industry has not assumed large proportions anywhere, 
owing to the want of a thoroughly suitable machine to pr puo d the 
fibre. 
3. In the Foreign Office Report, for the year 1887, on the 
of the Barcelona district [No. 275, Annual Series, 1888], 
Wooldridge states, that in the provinee of Cataluña, “ 
* already in v capable of decorticating the [Ramie] fibre 
o qum iem 
. Mr. Thiselton Dyer is of opinion that it is very desirable to 
e. Mr. Wooldridge the names of the makers of the machines which 
appear to have successfully solved the problem of pde Ramie 
stems. Any particulars he could add as -— ards ce cos of the 
machines, the power necessary to drive them, and the out-turn lean 
fibre per day, would egy of the greatest Sasis btk to plants 
in our tropical countries 
ve, &e., 
Sir T. Villiers Lister, K.C.M.G. (Signed) D. Monzis. 
Mr. Coxsur Woororwen to dis. POEA or Sarumomr. 
Mr Loro Manges 
A E the honour to ackno wle 
t ve an 
of interest to planters i in British tropical uds olon 
Although the Ramie plant t has been ultivated 1 e dones years in th 
north of Cataluña, i is d ithin t last ears that, through. 
the invention of a decorticating dig bya Morse Favier, m" er 
|. of the “ Société La Ramie Francaise,” it has as been brought before 
publie, M. Favier has a factory, called the “Fabrica : 
 'Torroella de Montgri, in reps in the a of the 
Ler ori tend re his at work. —— 
These stalks in a dry 
A pre cut and exposed to the ch rays of. the sun. 
.. 48 hours, as experiments and praetice show that the 
green Ramie is impracti 
P eee tt 
M. Revie bor been. the first to solve the 
to be s 
.'* Cent Jas in its number d 
“ Although the "use of stares = Meee "M 
