275 
It was evident that the proceedings were watched with considerable. 
interest by inventors, no less than by persons directly interested in the 
rr 
? 
test Be chemical processes, a mr of Ramie ribbons were available 
o be converted into filas 
e commission of jurors included M. Tisserand, Councillor of State 
and Director of Agriculture, a number of prominent engineers, chemis 
evidently men who were acquainted with the eooni problems 
connected with the eultivation and utilization of the Ramie ph and 
the trials were conducted in a systematie and exhaustive mann 
Lisr or PRIZES OFFERED. 
s had been offered by the French Government in the following 
five itari :—(a.) For a machine to decorticate Ramie in a gree 
2 
b m 
: 5 (ce) For a machine of 
a light and portable character driven by horse power, and suitable for 
use in the Colonies, 1st prize 700 fr., 2nd prize 500 fr. ; (d.) Fora hand- 
power machine of a light and portable puc suitable Ks use in the 
Colonies, Ist prize 500 fr., 2nd prize 300 fr.; (e.) For the best E 
most economical process (chemical or ERN to convert the Ram 
ribbons into commercial filasse suitable for the use of mitt Ru 
facturors, Ist prize 1,000 fr., 2nd prize, 700 fr, 
The entries previously made at the Ministry of Agriculture ineluded 
19 niaciicdn and 10 (che niat processes. On the m morning of the 
trials e qe four machines and one chemical process, were submitted to 
the juro 
THE DELANDTSHEER MACHINE. 
Taking the machines in the order in which they stood, the first was 
that invented by Delandtsheer of Paris (Décertiqueuse de Ramie 
Systéme Delandtsheer). The cost was stated to be 404. ‘This was 
a 
erushers which received eig t or ue om ata € from the hands 
of the operator, and sed them to be beaten by a pair of 
rapidly evolving drums var similar in n character to y found in the 
Death machine. In the Delandtsheer machine, however, there is a 
reverse pomis attached of an effective character, When about five- 
sevenths of the lengths of the stems had been cleaned, ref are —_ 
returned by means of the reverse action to the hands of t rator, 
who then presented the unclean ends to the machine ar completed 
the operation. ‘The fibre in this case was only moderately well-cleaned ; 
there was considerable waste, and the actual amount of rathe r- bruised 
om 
As the lat 
were dried, the calculations dur dry ribbons would be about 6 kilos, 
If we take the result at 5j kilos. per hour of dry ribbons, the Delandt- 
