314 
B. tenacissima. A classification of the hand- and machine-cleaned 
fibres appearing in commerce (showing also their origin) might 
be adopted as follow 
1. Commercial China ep ] 
€ ae in Chi 
2. China ribbons or "inire Produced from the 
hand- o vá v machine- cleaned ra ANDE TE ; bsc 
3. China gra w fibre 
Cokin iusan], J À 
l. Ramie or poe ribbons or lanières ) Produced from the 
(hand- Aieri? cleaned) Ramieor Rhea plant, 
2. Ramie or Rhea w fibre. twi pte tenacis- 
Citloh itietentiad). 
The completely cleaned and bleached fibre or Kk could be 
easily distinguished as China grass filasse or Ramie or Rhea filasse, 
paing to the plant from which it was originally obtained. 
During the last five years more interest appears to have been 
taken in these fibresin the new world than in the o 
ae United — Department of Agriculture has organised a 
systematic series of experiments in different sections of the 
country, and shone are likely to produce very interesting results. 
Mr. Richards Dodge’s Report (No. 7) already mentioned contains 
a large mass of very useful information. In fact, it may 
abe as containing, from the American point of view, all that 
is known practically of the cultivation and treatment of China 
grass. 
PLANTING. 
The following is extracted from Nm Foreign Office Report, 
Annual Series, 1897, No. 2017, p. 8. : 
“The cultivation of the Ramie RIS E siart Aaye grase], 
the fibre of which is superior to flax, on the ned by t 
Imperial domains at Chakva, near Batoum, i is Paonia a ran, doni 
of attention just at present. The climate and soil of the low- 
lying land in that locality appears to suit this plant extremely 
that the Administration of the Imperial domain lands is able to 
furnish a ee ipe d quantity of the dried stalks to the Govern- 
ment Paper Mi t St. Petersburg, where it is to be used in the 
manufacture of the. Ea. from which rouble notes and stamped 
bill of exchange forms are made. 
As already stated, both China grassand Ramie have been tiie 
experimentally in Jamaica,and avery useful Memorandum has 
published by Mr. W. Fawcett, F.L.S., inthe Bulletin ofthe perte 
Department (1894, pp. 33-34), This contains, also, a Report of the 
Jamaica Committee with reference to a prospective trial of the 
Allison Fibre Machine. The following extracts give the cultural 
results obtained in Jamaica (Report of the Director, 1894-95, 
pp. rad 
experience I think there is little reason to doubt that 
ui bnt] part of the plant to propagate from is the bottom of the 
