63 
for  use  in  the  manufacturing  linen  centres  of  Scotland  no  difficulty 
would  be  experienced.  As  I have  already  maintained  from  what  I 
know  of  other  fibres  this  is  one  of  the  most  easily  dealt  with,  if  the 
best  is  produced,  and  will  give  the  most  generous  results  if  reck- 
oned in  the  dry  state  with  the  tons  of  sap  left  out  of  the  count  as 
it  ought  to  be  along  with  the  enormous  leafage,  all  of  which  ought 
to  be  got  rid  of  before  being  handled  and  the  ribbons 'taken  off. 
The  broader  this  is  removed  the  better.  To  make  ramie  pay  it 
will  have  to  be  handled  by  the  ton  and  turned  out  in  hundred- 
weights and  not  in  pounds  as  at  present  by  the  use  of  patient- 
pottering  machines.  All  this  I can  do  at  a comparatively  low  cost. 
J.  ANDERSON. 
(Letter  No.  2.) 
Dear  Sir, — I herewith  return  part  of  the  ribbons  you  kindly 
sent  me.  In  the  condition  you  see  it  the  wastage  is  about  50% 
for  comparison  I send  along  with  this  the  best  class  of  Ramie  the 
waste  on  which  is  25%.  The  trouble  and  expense  in  cleaning  is 
not  more  than  a half  as  compared  with  this  of  yours  and  the  results 
are  much  superior  as  it  takes  on  a far  better  finish^  especially  as 
the  fibre  is  mature  which  yours  was  not.  This  accounts  for  the 
woolly  look  that  yours  has  got.  Independent  of  this  if  nothing  bet- 
ter could  be  had  this  of  yours  would  pay  to  grow.  From  your  ex- 
perimental plot  you  ought  to  have  no  difficulty  in  showing  growers 
what  they  might  except  from  an  acre  of  suitable  ground.  You  can 
at  the  same  time  compare  this  with  flax  grown  in  Ireland  and 
which  has  to  be  annually  sown  and  which  does  not  yield  more  than 
an  average  of  3 cu  t.  of  cleaned  flax  to  an  acre  worth  on  an  average 
not  more  than  50/  per  cwt.  for  the  past  ten  years  according  to  printed 
returns.  Although  I do  not  regard  your  ribbons  as  being  the  right 
sort  I recognise  the  splendid  possibilities  of  the  country  you  are  in  for 
the  development  of  this  grand  fibre  and  considering  the  time  your 
roots  have  been  in  the  ground  the  result  is  amazing  and  confirms  the 
impression  of  all  I have  seen  and  read  that  there  is  nothing  grown 
under  the  sun  finer  than  Ramie  and  no  plant  grown  for  fibre  that 
could  yield  more  generous  results  except  Jute.  In  the  condition  of 
these  samples  any  quality  could  be  sold  and  used  at  prices  that  neither 
flax  no  cotton  could  obtain.  I have  shown  these  to  men  largely  in- 
terested in  manufacturing  and  they  all  admit  and  predict  a great 
future  for  this  finest  of  vegetable  fibres. 
J.  ANDERSON. 
RECLAIMING  ABANDONED  MINING  LAND. 
Copy  of  Minute  by  Mr.  RlDLEY,  dated  i^th  June,  i8g6. 
Hon.  Resident,  Selangor, 
I have  carefully  read  this  paper  and  agree  with  most  of  the 
recommendations,  though  it  is  probable  that  in-  the  view  of  the 
