217 
Series B.—Green stems: rather woody. 
vn 2 No.of | Weight | „Weight of Wet | Wet Ribbons 
Series. | Condition. Btems. | in grammes. | Ribbons delivered "7S — 
— 
dS 
-1 
b2 
bo 
eo | 
© 
-1 
m 
or 
© 
ITI. Stems with 2 
leaves. 
IV. Stems with- 22 2,268 1,021 599 
out leaves. 
The Subra machine (in its present form) weighs about 3 to 
4 ewts., and has the appearance of an ordinary chaff cutter 
mber, are fed at n 
shaken. The latter plies a t dps rid of most of the adhering 
wood. The ribbons are then ready to be hung up to dry. The 
machine requires nca orse power, but was worked during 
the trial entirely by hand. The bar. can ae treated either bi 
or without the leaves. There action as in mo 
machines, and hence the whole of ib edit 2 rapidly through. 
and are at once delivered on the apron ready for shaking a 
drying. It is impossible to speak oonelasiely of a single trial, 
and Hh such a very limited number of stems. "The following 
reports on the trial, furnished to the Subra Company by 
vi Sc Cross & Bevan, give, however, the results SORT 
attained :— 
No. 1. 
MESSRS. CROSS AND BEVAN TO THE SUBRA COMPANY, LTD. 
Laboratory, 4, New Court, Lincoln's Inn, W.C., 
16th October, 1895. 
DEAR SIRS, 
HAVING been present at your request at a trial of the 
working of your Decorticating Machine (Subra, Eng. Pat. 
23, 642/94) we now beg to report as follows :— 
China Grass Stems (green). ae stems were supplied from 
Kew. The results obtained on the machine were quite satis- 
factory. The ribbons prove on examination to be intact, and 
are ue ari stripped without injury to the filasse. The wood 
was quite free from fibre, and on the other hand the ribbons 
retained only a fractional percentage of wood. We, of pem 
d no opportunity o ing a continuous run with a 
weight of stems, and can prose e only form an estimaie of the 
behaviour and output of the machine under ordinary conditions 
of work. rie estimate is favourable. We were not able to see 
any weak t in construction or operation calcu 
interfere with pos fet working and steady efficiency. 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) Cross & BEVAN. 
Messrs. The Subra Fibre Co., Ltd. 
