365 
cess  of  their  own  and  that  the  first  essential  of  the  deal  is  that  we 
purchase  one  or  more  of  their  machines  and  then  no  satisfactory 
o^uarantee  is  offered  that  large  purchases  will  be  made  in  the  future. 
The  position  must  have  altered  remarkably  during  the  last  three 
years,  if  small  farmers  can  make  money  by  shipping  small  parcels 
of  the  fibre  to  Europe.  I was  assured  by  leading  brokers  three 
years  ago,  that  the  only  ramie  then  being  sold  in  Europe  was  the 
hand  product  of  China  and  the  producers  did  not  and  could  not 
afford  to  pay  any  wages,  with  their  primitive  methods  of  produc- 
tion. 
8.  Freight. — Under  conference  rates,  this  would  be  a heavy 
item  particularly  for  the  small  grower  who  could  not  afford  an 
hydraulic  press. 
The  Ocean  Steamship  Co.  were  good  enough  to* allow  us  special 
rates  for  experimental  shipments.  At  current  rates  our  hand- 
pressed  bales  would  have  cost  at  least  per  ton  weight  to 
deliver  in  Europe. 
9.  Experiments. — 1“ cannot  recommend  to  Government  to  incur 
any  expense  in  further  agricultujal  experiments  or  urge  private 
individuals  to  do  so.  _ 
After  two  years  hard  work,  and  the  expenditure  of  a consider- 
able amount  of  capital,  we  have  nothing  to  shew  but  agricultural 
results.  These  have  hitherto  been  reserved  for  the  information  of 
our  shareholders,  but  I now  give  the  figures  for  the  information  of 
the  Government  and  my  fellow  planters.  All  other  figures  I have 
seen  quoted,  appear  to  have  been  based  upon  garden-plot  experi- 
ments. 
It  is  true  that  we  have  never  worked  a decorticator  steadily  for  a 
year,  but  these  results  are  based  on  the  produce  of  several  acres 
treated  in  different  seasons,  careful  records  having  been  kept. 
10.  Results. — An  acre  of  ramie  will  yield  20  tons  of  green 
stems  without  leaves. 
Twenty  tons  of  green  stems  yield  25  cwt.  of  dry  ribbons  i.e., 
the  fibre  with  all  the  epidermis  and  gum  attached. 
Twenty-five  cwt.  of  dry  ribbons  yield  10  cwt.  of  filasse. 
Ten  cwt.  of  filasse  at  four  pence  a pound  is  worth  ^18  13^“.  \d. 
11.  Expenditure — Our  average  expenditure  on  cutting,  strip- 
ping, decorticating,  drying  and  baling  amounted  to  about  10 
for  25  cwt.  of  ribbons.  We  worked  only  one  decorticator,  whereas 
the  engine  might  have  worked  several  for  the  same  amount  of  fuel. 
Drying  and  baling  would  be  unnecessary,  with  a degum mer  close 
at  hand  and  I think  the  cost  of  production  might  be  reduced. 
But  at  £\o  as  the  cost  of  treating  the  produce  of  an  acre, 
there  would  be  a balance  of  ^^813.^.  4^.  out  of  which  field  upkeep 
and  supervision  would  have  to  be  paid. 
12.  Proposed  Decortication — If  degummers  were  erected  locally 
there  would  be  no  necessity  for  any  epidermis-cleaning  system  of 
decortication,  Our  produce  would  be  treated  green,  before  the  gum 
