300 USEFUL FIBER PLANTS OF THE WORLD. 



The advantages -which Sparmannia has over all other fiber plants, and which ele- 

 vates it to the highest rank of agricultural products, are, that it is perennial: it is 

 one of the very hcst forage plants in existence; its enormous yield, Loth of fodder 

 and fiber, the great strength and dazzling whiteness of the fiber, the facility with 

 which it takes dyes, and the extremely low prices at which it can be produced 

 making it accessible even to the paper manufacturer. (Jean h'oth.) 



Economic considerations. — In 1890 the Department received from Dr. Harris, of 

 Key "West, an interesting account of the culture and preparation of this tiber plant 

 from notes from the South African authority quoted above. From these notes it is 

 learned that Sparmannia grows in almost any except a brackish soil. It requires 

 deep plowing and is much benefited by manuring, although it grows luxuriantly in 

 South Africa in soils where no other crop will grow without fertilization. The seeds 

 should be sown in drills 28 inches apart, and the plants thinned out to the distance 

 of 14 or 16 inches in the drill as soon as all danger from frost has passed. The plants 

 taken up in thinning transplant as easily as mangel-wurzel. It has no insect enemies 

 of consequence. 



As soon as the plants are from 12 to 18 inches high they should be nipped, or bud- 

 ded, if they do not branch out freely. From 12 to 18 stalks should grow from each 

 plant the first year. After the first cutting upward of 50 stalks will spring out; the 

 greater the number the slenderer the growth and the stronger the fiber. Reapingmay 

 begin about six months from the time of sowing and continue six months. In climates 

 where the orange tree grows four crops would be certain, which would amount to 12 

 tons per acre during the year. The stalks for fiber should be cut about 6 inches above 

 the soil and may be treated to extract the fiber at once. They should not be cut, how- 

 ever, more than twelve hours in advance. For this purpose any of the various hemp or 

 flax machines will answer. A jet of water, however, must always flow over the place 

 of friction. Before the fiber is dried it should be sulphured similarly to straw goods. 

 Another way of extracting the fiber is by retting the stalks in water, which is the 

 cheaper and easier way. This is done in vats, which should be so constructed as to be 

 easily emptied, and should not be more than 1 feet deep. A vat 20 by 40 feet, and 4 feet 

 deep, will hold enough stalks to produce a ton of cleaned fiber. To secure a uniform 

 whiteness of the fiber water should be gently running from one vat to another all 

 the while, and never at a temperature lower than 18° C. in the daytime. When a vat 

 is packed with stalks narrow inch boards should be placed across it on the stalks, so 

 that tubs or casks filled with water can be put upon them so as to hold the stalks 

 constantly under water at least 2 inches, where they should be allowed to remain 

 ten or fifteen days, when they will be found ready for washing. The washer now 

 takes his station alongside of the vat, and taking a handful of the stalks in his hand, 

 catching them in the middle, he turns the top ends toward the surface of the water 

 at an inclination of about 45° and pokes the thin ends three or four times into the 

 water, when, if the stalks are sufficiently retted, the fiber at the upper end hangs 

 down in a lock of which the washer takes hold and lets loose the middle, so that 

 the whole handful hangs upon the lock or loose fiber. He then gives two or three 

 jerks with the hand, holding the fiber lock upward, and all the stalks free from fiber 

 drop out. This is repeated until he has a good handful separated from the stalk. 

 He again takes them at the end and lowers the hand until about 6 inches from the 

 water, so that the fiber nearly floats upon the surface. He then moves the hand 

 quickly from right to left several times and the fiber is washed as white as snow. 

 Then taking the clean end in his hand, he repeats the operation with the other end; 

 the whole operation is done quickly. Half an hour's practice will make a skilled 

 washer of any person of ordinary intelligence. One person can wash out 100 pounds 

 of clean fiber in ten hours. This shows how easily the tiher is extracted and cleaned, 

 and how simple the machine must bo to supplant hand decortication. The syndicate 

 used ordinary scutchers with water jets, after the plan of the W. E. Death patent. 

 They found out that the retting and hand decortication was the best and cheapest, 

 as there was no waste. 



