March i, 1889.] T HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
603 
patch, of tlio 19th instant, on the subject of the 
machinos used in Oataluiia for decorticating the stalks 
of the Ramie plant; and I am directed to report to 
your Lordship the names of the makera of the 
machines, and to give any further particulars which 
might prove of iutorest to planters in British tropical 
colonies. 
Although the Ramie plant has been cultivated for 
many years in the north of Cataluria, it is only 
within the last two years that, through the invontion 
of a decorticating machine by a Monsieur Favier, 
member of the "Sociote La Ramie Franchise," it has 
been brought boforo the public. M. Favier has a 
factory, called the " Fabrica Favier," at Torroella de 
Montgri, in Gerona, in the vicinity of the Ramie 
plantations, where his decorticating machines are at 
work. 
Theso machines are used to decorticate the stalks 
in a dry state, aftor having beon cut and exposed 
to the powerful rays of the sun for 48 hours, as 
experiments and practice show that the oporation on 
the green Ramie is impracticable. 
It appears that M. Favier has been the first to solve 
the problem of decortioating Ramie with success ; and, 
icoording to Professor Obiols, his machine leaves 
nothing to be desired; and of this invention the 
" Oentralblatt," of Berlin, in its number of January 
23, 1888, says: — "Although the use of the Ramie, 
as a textile plant, dates from time immemorial, tho 
separation of the fibre from the stalk has been found 
hitherto so surrounded with difficulties that no hope 
existed of any considerable extension in its usn ; how- 
ever, sinco M. Favier has discovered a machiuo for 
the purpose of separating tho fibre, a real revolution 
has been produced in the industrial world, and the 
cultivation of the Ramie plant has taken extraordinary 
proportions.'' 
Another decorticating machine, similar to tho Favier 
one, has, however, been invented by a Monsieur 
Billiou, of Marseilles, who obtained a patent for it 
in Spain, but, boing considered by M. Favier as 
a piracy, the latter prosecuted M. Billiou, who even- 
" out triumphant; and, although this machine 
has not been used in Spain, somo persons consider 
it to bo superior to tho Favier one. 
Full descriptions aro given of theso machines in 
Piofeaaoi Obiols' pamphlet (in Spanish), and can be 
purchased for a few pesetas. 
The Billion mnoliiue cau produce 300 kilogrammes 
of lit. re ft day, showing an advantago over tho Favier one. 
The Favier machine is not for sale to the public, 
th.. inVMtei preferring to establish factories near the 
p'. natations ai d purchase the produce from tho agri- 
culturists, and decorticate and manufacture threads, 
tic, himself, as tho "Sociote La Ramie Franchise" 
is doing at Torroella. Neither, I believe is the Billiou 
machine to bo acquired for money. 
Thero is another machine, known as tho " Agra- 
madcra (Hat dresser) Kaulek," invented by M. 
Kaulek, of 1'aris. Its size is a cubic metre, and it 
requires half a horse-power to put it in motion, and 
can be u irl;. d by the arm. I>y a windmill, or by 
steam. It is portable, weighs 350 kilos., and its 
priM ll 9,000 fr. (804.) It has been known to produce 
17"> kilos, of rommi rcial K noie, 111 ribbons, in In hours. 
Another machine has been inventod in Barcelona 
by I ton Demetrio l'rioto, for extracting fibre from 
textile plants, and many of bis machines aro in use, 
with success, in Mexico. The iinciilor m about to 
introduce certain modifications in this machine, in 
Older to adapt it to tho decortication of the Kamio 
plant. 
Tin- personnel required to work the Favier machine, 
and tho cost per diem (in Catalans), are as follows :— 
Pesetas c. 
Two men to separate the ex- 
tremities of the stalks 0 76 
One man to introduce tho stalks ... 1 60 
< >nn man to receive the fibre ... 1 50 
I >IIO 111:111 to supply the stalks 
to tho intruduour n 75 
-5 
or about 4s. per day for each machine; and for, 
say, a 1,000 kilos, of dry stalks the proportional 
out-turn would be as follows: — 
50 kilos, of extremities, or 5 per cent. 
of the whole weight. 
190 kilos, of fibre, or 20 per cent, of the whole weight. 
870 kilos, of wood. 
100 kilos, of pellicles, and 
90 kilos, of loss. 
Yet the wood, extremities, and pellicles may all 
be utilised. 
Taking tho working of 20 of Favier's machines, 
which would require about 10 horse-power of steam, 
the expenses and profits result as follows : — 
Cost of installation, 120,000 pesetas, or francs, each 
machine costing 0,000 fr., with the necessary capital 
of 00,000 fr. 
Actual cost of stalks of Ramie (in Spain), 100 
pesetas per 1,000 kilos.; ftnd each machine decorti- 
cating 216 kilos, per day. 
Expenses. 
4,320 kilos, of stalks 432 00 
Labour ... 108 00 
Incidental expenses 122 00 
Total 
Products. 
f> per cent, of extromities 
20 per cent, of decorticated stalks, 
or 864 kilos, of fibre 
57 per oent. of wood 
10 per cent, of pellicles 
9 por oent. of loss. 
662 
10 
864 
61 
17 
00 
80 
00 
50 
20 
Total products 
Total Expenses 
Total 
953 
953 
662 
50 
50 
00 
Clear profit per day 291 50 
or 117,150 pesetas per annum of 300 days of labour, 
which represont approximately 48 per cent, of the 
capital. 
Tho Favier maohine has the advantage of extract- 
ing the fibre and making the threads clear of gum, 
for in the raw Ramie which comes from China and 
India, there is so much gum that it is most difficult 
to cleanse. These machines, as I said before, are 
not yet within the reaoh of agriculturists, that of 
M. Favier being used by the inventor, aud that of 
M. Billion having ceased to work in Spain. 
I have, &c. 
(Sigued) Frank Wooldhidge. 
Botanical Station at Lagos. 
In the Krir HuUctia for the months of .Tuuo and 
July l,ss7, there were discussed the details of a 
scheme of botanical stations for the West India Islands. 
Theso botanical stations are intended to supple- 
ment the operations of the botanic gardens already 
established in the larger islands, and are simple and 
inexpensive agencies, chiefly devoted to tho work of 
raising and distributing useful economic plants, and 
to cultivating experimentally on a small scale such 
vegetable products as offer the most convenient and 
suitable means for improving local industries. Botani- 
c:i 1 1 it ions, as distinct from botanical gardens, aro 
intended to bo supervised by working gardeners, 
native or European, who havo beon specially trained 
in the details of nursery work in the tropics. 
Profiting by the experience gained in the West 
Indies, it has been sought to extend tho system of 
botanic stations to the West African Colonies, which 
hitherto havo been without a local botanical agoncy 
of any kind. 
The prosperity of these colonies has chiefly dopen- 
ded on palm oil, grouud nuts, and various forest 
products, more or le>» of a precarious character. 
These are just now in a depressed i>t»te. and hence 
it is felt that some 1 tfort should ho mado to encourage 
the growth of cotfee, cacao, mai/.e, indigo, rice, cotton, 
ginger, india-rubber, cocoanuts, tobacco, and any other 
plants suited to the soil and climate. 
