137 



their produce seemed to be more than enough to meet the require- 

 ments of Mr. RADCLIFFE'S friends. 



In using my figures, apparently as an argument to persuade 

 the planter to shut his eyes, open his mouth and see what the 

 spinner vvill put into it. Mr. P UXXIFFE quotes the hypothetical 

 value of an acre's production, i.e. £18 1 $s. 4d. and naively asks 

 "what other crop produces it"? He has failed to notice the little 

 Items of expenditure that mu4 he set against it. 



8. I question if it would pay to open land far Ramie only in 

 this country — even assuming that degumraers are willing' to buy 

 it on the spot at the rate of four pence a pound for the resultant 

 lilasse. Until the Ramie spinner backs his oft-expressed opinion 

 that it is equal (if not superior) to flax., by offering a similar price 

 for it, the "King ^of Fibres ' is doomed to the humble position 

 (at best) of a supplementary product or catch crop. 



9. Chinese methods of production might be adopted by our 

 natives, were it not for the fact that the Malay can earn enough 

 in a day to keep himself for a week, bv other occupation. 



10. While I still retain the highest opinion of the potentialities 

 of Ramie fibre and believe it will ultimately revolutionise the text lie 

 industry, 1 cannot recommend the Government to fritter awa\ 

 public funds in any experimental work, until evidence is forth- 

 coming that Ramie spinners are prepared to take a practical inter- 

 est in the venture. 



Cyril E. S. Baxendale. 



Jugra Estate, 



April gth, IQ04. 



VANILLIN 



Imperial Institute, 

 ( South Kensington, London, S. (I'.) 



Memorandum on the Manufacture and Production of Vanillin 

 and its employment as a substitute, for Vanilla 



Vanillin is the constituent to which Vanilla owes its aroma and 

 flavour. Jt was discovered in 1858 by COBLEY.and was subsequent- 

 ly investigated by a number of chemists, notably by T.IEMAN, who 

 first prepared it artificially from Coniferin, a glucoside found in 

 certain coniferous plants. Since that time a large number of pro- 

 cesses for the artificial preparation of Vanillin on a commercial scah 

 have been devised. The first of these to meet with commercial 

 success was that of De LA'.RE (English Patents: :8c)o No. -7,547 : 

 1891 No. 17.137). who used as a starting point eugeno/, the sub- 

 stance to which oil of cloves owes its characteristic odour. DE 

 Laire's process, either in its original form or slightly modified, 

 vyas worked in France bv Df Laire & Co., and in Germany b) 



