6o2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1889. 
They are usually more or less fusiform, tapering at 
the ends to about one line in diameter. The mean 
thickest part is about 1J line in diameter. For her- 
barium specimens of the plant yielding these fruits, 
we are indebted to Dr. George Watt, Scientific 
Assistant to the Director of Agriculture, Calcutta. 
There is a form with shorter involucres collected at 
Mergui by Mr. Griffith. In a note attached to pi. 
1,764, in the Icones Plantarum, Vol. VIII., Professor 
Oliver states that the Kew Herbarium possesses, in 
addition to the packet of involucres from the India 
Office, a letter from Mr. R. Burce, of Balipara, Assam, 
to Mr. H. C. Read, of the British Museum, saying 
that the involucres are known to the Assamese and 
the Meris, and called by them the cowr-monee or 
orow bead, from the fondness of these birds for the 
berry." 
In an office memorandum, dated Simla, 22nd 
December 1887, Dr. Watts states, that " the grain 
(of this variety of Job's Tears) is not likely to 
prove of any great economic value as a source of 
food, but it stands an admirable chance of being 
largely used in Europe in the construction of arti- 
fical flowers, laces, bugle trimmings, and other purposes 
for which glass beads are being used. If capable of 
being dyed a deep black colour, there might be a 
very extensive demand, since such beads would be 
infinitely more durable than glass. During the Ex- 
hibition, several gentlemen, especially from France, 
inquired after seeds suitable for the above purposes, 
The writer was not able at the time to furnish them 
with samples of the cylindrical form of Ooix now 
under consideration, but showed them the ordinary 
spherical form. They seemed to think there was 
some prospect even of the common spherical form 
coming into use, but objected to its large size. This 
led the writer to show them the Karen garments 
with the cylindrical form of seeds used as decora- 
tions. This they were highly pleased with. In hopes 
of still further developing the matter, the writer drew 
Mr. Thiselton Dyer's attention to them, with the 
result that the present inquiry has now been 
instituted." 
We are enabled, by permission of the Bentham 
Trustees, to add a plate of this variety of Job's Tears, 
from the current issue of the Icones Plantarum 
[Vol. VIII., pt. 3, pi. 1,764.] 
Ramie or Rheea. 
(Boehmeria nivea var. tenacissima.) 
The plant known under the several names of China 
Grass, Ramie, or Rheea, belongs to the natural order, 
Urticacece, and hence it is not a grass at all, but a 
species of nettle, somewhat resembling in appearance 
an 1 habit of growth the common nettle of Europe. 
The China Grass plant, first known and long culti- 
vated by the Chinese under" the name of Tchou Ma, 
is the Boehmeria nivea of botanists. The specific name, 
nivea, was given to it on account of the white appear- 
anoe on the under-side of the leaves. A plant called 
in Assam, Rheea, and in the Malay Islands, Ramie, 
was believed by Roxburgh to be distinct from the 
Tchou Ma of the Chinese, and it was named by this 
botanist Boehmeria (Urtica) tenacissima. In this plant 
there is an abBenoe of the white-felted appearance on 
the under-side of the leaves, so characteristic of the 
China Grass plant, but in all other respects the two 
plants are identical in their botanical characters. 
For purposes of classification, the Tchou Ma, or 
China Grass plant, Boehmeria nivta, may be accept- 
ed as the typical species, and the Rheea or Ramie 
retained as a geographical variety of it, under the 
name of Boehmeia nivea var. tenacissima. This latter 
is sometimes kuown as the G< een-leave<i China Grass, 
a name which may be conveniently retained for it. 
Thu fibre yielded by these plants has been long 
recognised as pre-eminent amongst vegetable fibres for 
strength, fineness, and lustre. Hence numerous 
attempts have been made to cultivate them, and to 
prepare the fibre in large quantities for commercial 
purposes, Xhe plants are exceedingly easy of culti- 
vation and thrive in all soils, but preference should be 
given to those of a light loamy character. It is essential 
that the climate be moist and stimulating, in order 
to produce abundant and frequent crops of stems. 
The plants may be raised from seed, but the more 
ready method is by root or stem cuttings. The roots 
being perennial, the stools become stronger and more 
vigorous every year, and from these, fresh sets are 
easily obtained for extending the cultivation. 
Numerous attempts have been mude during the last 
10 years to extract the valuable fibre which exists in 
this plant- The experimental processes hitherto 
employed may be briefly classed as either mechanical 
or chemical. In the first, it has been sought to extract 
the fibre from the green stems, by means of rapidly 
revolving beaters attached to a drum driven by 
steam power. In some cases, water is used to wash 
the fibre while under the beaters The chief difficulty 
experienced in this method, is the small quantity of 
fibre cleaned per day. This has enhanced the cost 
to such an extent, as to render the process practically 
unremunerative. In the chemical processes, the 
Ramie stems are treated green or dry. The object 
sought is to treat the stems either under great pressure 
with steam or with chemicals, so as to dissolve the gum 
in which the individual fibres i»re immersed. 
After being thus treated, the fibres are easily detached 
from the stems by hand or by machinery, are sent 
to market in the form of ribbons. The question of 
cost is here also very important, and it is felt, under 
present circumstances, that China Grass can only be 
satisfactorily grown and prepared where there is an 
abundance of cheap labour. 
It is a fact universally known, that the fibre of the 
China Grass is one of the finest and strongest known. 
If a process could be devised that would extract and 
clean the fibre at a cheap rate, the results would prove 
of the greatest possible interest to all our tropical 
colonies. The China Grass plant can be grown as 
easily as the sugar cane, but in spite of many years of 
continuous effort, the problem how to prepare the fibre 
on a large scale, and place it in the market at remune- 
rative rates, is apparently still unsolved. * 
We gather from the numerous applications made to 
Kew for information, that interest is still maintained 
in the China Grass or Ramie, and under these cir- 
cumstances it is felt to be desirable to place on record 
the latest facts that have been gleaned respecting 
the present position of the industry. 
Royal Gardens, Kew, to Foreign Office. 
Royal Gardens, Kew, April 16, 1888. 
Sir, — I am desired by Mr. Thiselton Dyer to inform 
you that considerable interest is being taken in British 
Colonies in the culture of the Ramie plant, known 
as Rhea and China Grass (Boehmeria nivea). 
2. Hitherto the industry has not assumed large pro- 
portions anywhere, owing to the want of a thoroughly 
suitable machine to prepare the fibre. 
3. In the Foreign Office Report, for the year 1887, 
on the agriculture of the Barcelona district [No. 275, 
Annual Series, 1888], Mr. Consul Wooldridge states, 
that in the province of Cataluna, " Machines are 
already in use, capable of decorticating the [Ramie] 
fibre on a profitable scale." 
4. Mr. Thiselton Dyer is of opinion that it is very 
desirable to obtain from Mr. Wooldridge the names 
of the makers of the machines which appear to have 
successfully solved the problem of deoorticating Ramie 
stems. Any particulars he could add as regards the 
cost of the machines, the power necessary to drive 
them, and the out-turn of clean fibre per day, would 
prove of the greatest possible interest to planters in 
our tropical countries. I have, &c. 
Sir T. Villiers Lister, K C.M.G. (Signed) D. Morris. 
Mr. Consul Wooldridge to the Marquis 
of Salisbury. 
Barcelona, April 25, 1888. 
My Lord Marquis, — I have the honour to ack- 
nowledge the receipt of Sir James Fergusson's des- 
* This is true and strangely true, considering the 
boasted progress of science. Even in the United 
States we suspect the difficulty has not been over- 
come,— Ed. T. A. 
