80 



advantageous to treat with us for a plant and process, whereby they 

 would be enabled to procure filasse, saving the cost of drying and an 

 important item in freight, besides obtaining a fibre of superior quality 

 which would command an enhanced price, giving a very handsome 

 profit on the extra cost of production compared with Rhea Ribbons. 



The apparatus and process are simple and not costly. 



"We are prepared to negotiate for granting monopolies to districts. 

 By this means planters acquiring the Rights could make a profit in 

 converting neighbours " ribbons" into filasse. 



We are also prepared to supply machines for extracting the fibre 

 from leaves of such as Aloe, Agave, Banana, Sisal, Phormium, Pine 

 Apple, Abutilon, i^ansevieria, Sida retusa, Yucca, &c, &c, which do 

 the work effectively and are free from the danger of accidents to work- 

 men ; they are self-acting and there is no necessity for the machine 

 attendants to expose themselves to any risk. 



All these machines are portable, the idea being to move them from 

 one part of the plantation to another to follow the cutting of the leaves. 



We are prepared to supply Ramie, Miver, and Yarns, to manufac- 

 turers, and to make contracts for the regular supply of Ramie, in any 

 form, to suit all purposes. 



Mr. D. Edwards Radchjfe to Director of Public Gardens and 



Plantations. 



March 14th, 1896. 



Dear Sir, 



1 have pleasure in giving particulars requested in yours of 19th 

 February. 



Price of Machines to prepare 1 ton filasse per week. 



2 Decorticators ungummer vats and presses £500 0. If your 

 order is for 10 tons the machinery would cost about 5o/o less, for 20- 

 tons and upwards, 10 o/o in proportion, viz. : 10 tons £4,750 0, 20 

 tons £9,000 0. 



In making your calculations add price to be paid for the process and 

 rights or j'ou could purchase the monopoly. Would you be prepared 

 to pay a lump sum for the process and rights monopoly for Jamaica or 

 would you perfer to give a Royalty on the out-put ? I should like your 

 ©pinion on this point before quoting. In the event of a Royalty we 

 should have to have some guarantee as to quantity you w r ould turn out 

 and fix a minimum sum to be received per annum. 



There is big business to be done. — We would take filasse or find you 

 a market if not overstocked on receipt of reply. 



Yours faithfully, 



P. Edwards Radclyffe. 



The Subra Fibre Syndicate to Director of Public Gardens. 



10 Norfolk St, Strand, 

 London, W. C„ 15th Nov. 1895. 



Dear Sir, 



We are obliged by your inquiry of 20th October and for the Jamaica 

 Bulletin duly to hand this day. We regret, however, that it is not 



