600 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March 2, 1903. 
industrial schools, by trained men in extracting plant- 
ain fibre by means of No. 1 machine. 
(2) That machines be supplied at practically cost 
price to those who may wish to buy them. 
(3) That competitions be subsequently organised 
in districts or centres where plantains are largely 
grown, at which prizes should be offered to the most 
expert hands in extracting plantain fibre by means of 
No" 1 machine and also for the best samples of cordage 
made of the fibre. 
(4) That merchants likely to purchase the fibre if it 
were obtainable in quantity be encouraged to attend 
such competitions so that producers and purchasers 
may be brought together in order that a demand for 
the fibre may if possible be created. 
If any real encouragement is to be given for the pur- 
pose of introducing the industry among the Indian 
villagers no half-hearted measures will be productive 
of much good. It is, therefore, advisable that whatever 
it is decided to do in furtherance of the scheme should 
bo carefully planned properly directed, and persever- 
ingly carried out in a thorough manner till such 
time as definite and reliable results are asoer- 
t^ained. 
As has already been stated, the fibre obtained from 
the common plantain is not so strong as that which 
is obtained from Musa textilis the ' Manilla Hemp ' of 
commerce, and it will not therefore fetch anything 
like the price of the latter. It can, therefore, never 
compete favourably with ' Manilla Hemp ' in the 
Saropean markets. But, once the natives of India 
take to extracting and utilising the fibre of the com- 
mon plantain it is almost a foregone conclusion that 
an industry in the much more valuable fibre of 3Iusa 
textilis' would follow in course of time. 
In conclusion, the industry in extracting fibre for 
cordage from plantain stems after they have each 
borne their bunch of fruit is more certain to be of 
local interest and of benefit to the Indian cultivators 
than it is ever likely to attain any importance as an 
article of export. 
A NEW APPLICATION FOR RAMIE 
FIBRE. 
It has been the fate of Ramie or China grassfibre to 
have alternately long periods of a smouldering exist- 
ence and then to burst into a flame of popularity 
This has been going on for the last hundred years, and 
notwithstanding that, there can be no doubt as to the 
value of the fibre, and to its adaptability to a great 
variety of uses, Bamie cannot yet be included amongst 
* The manilla Hemp was successfully cultivated at 
the Saidapet Farm in 1882-84 and fibre extracted 
therefrom by scraping the sheaths with a blunt knife 
by hand. The stems yielded 1 to 2i per cent, of their 
weight of fibre. A rope of Manilla Hemp, i inch thick 
sustained a weight of about 500 lb. The cost of 
extracting fibre by hand was of course excessive— 
C.K.S. 
A native gentleman of Valovanur, South Areot 
named Venkataramier, states that a specimen of com- 
mon plaintain fibre has been valued in London at from 
£25 to £35 per ton. He estimates the production of 
clean fibre at IJ lb. per stem or nearly one ton per 
acre, and the cost of extracting the fibre by manual 
labour at 1155 and the charges for bailing, transport, 
freight etc., at R 45. Large profits are possible, if 
these figures are correct. Certain experiments made at 
the Saidapet Farm in 1882-83 in extracting fibre from 
the ordinary plantains showed that the average weight 
of a plantain stem was hardly 40 lb. and gave not 
more than 3 per cent, of fibre. The matter is well 
worth further attention.— C.K.S, 
commercial fibres. Quite recently notice have appeared 
in the Lancet and other publications on the application 
of the fibre for the manufacture of under clothing, 
a factory having been set up at Carlskrona, in Sweden, 
special for this purpose. Ramie underclothing is said to 
be superior to wool, cotton, linen, or silk ; further, that 
it is more durable, is unalterable in its texture, does 
not shrink, and its properties are unchanged in spite 
of wear and washing. The fabrics which we have 
seen are certainly well made, one pattern in parti- 
cular being so open and withal strong that though 
the thread itself is not elastic, the meshlike structure 
makes the material quite elastic — a property that is 
said to be retained permanently. Iq consequence of 
these characters many advantages over other materials 
are claimed for it, namely, that it does not hinder 
perspiration but facilitates it trnd secures complete 
ventilation, receiving warmth from and returning 
it to the skin ; further, that it is cooling during 
oppressive heat, and warming in cold weatber; and 
above all, that it ' prevents the germination of diseases, 
of the skin, rheumatism, &c.' Though the manufac- 
turers are introducing it exclusively for underclothing 
and hosiery, some of the patterns would seem to have 
recommendations for ladies' blouses or summer 
dresses, the pattern being of an open or network 
character, would look well over a dress of a bright 
colour. With the view of furthering the use of Ramie 
we may perhaps say that the English agents for these 
materials are Messrs. Hall, Nilsen & Co., 47 ftlosley 
Street, Manchester, John ' B. Jackson, Claremont 
Lijmpsfone, Devon, — The Gardeners' Chronicle. 
A PLAGUE OF RATS. 
Mr. E. E. Fernandez in the May 1902 number of 
the Indian Forester gives an interesting extract from 
the diary of an Extra-Assistant Conservator regarding 
damage to trees by rats. Similar damage has been 
found by me in the Jhalod and Godhra oranges of the 
Panch Mahals district. The rata here have, however, 
confined themselves to eating teak bark, gnawing 
down to the wood. In rare cases they have attacked 
bamboos ; however, where such instances were found I 
noticed the stem was never nibbled clean through, but 
only one side attacked ; also that the stem was rarely 
attacked at the butt, but two or three feet np the stem. 
I so far have found no case in which Butea frondosa 
was damaged. These rats first were reported in June 
1901 and soon after that time efforts were made to 
exterminate them, rewards being offered for every 100 
killed. Though about half a million were killed and 
brought in for reward in the Jhalod range alone, it 
had little effect in stopping the damage they were 
doing to crops. They cleared off the best portion of 
the crops in four out of five of the ranges of this 
division, causing severe distress throughout the affected 
areas. They were extremely objectionable in camp, 
running over and through the tents, especially at 
night ; this one could put iip with, had they not at the 
same time eaten ones boots, carpet and especially 
every sort of provision not kept in a tin-lined box. 
These were not the only troubles they gave the public 
in general ; walking became difficult in places owing 
to one sinking into their holes at every other step, and 
riding across country became nearly out of the question. 
About the 1st February 1902 they were noticed to be on 
the decrease, by the 15th it was only on rare occasions 
you saw thera, and by the end of the month they had 
completely disappeared. The only thing that can be 
hoped is that we will be spared from them next year. 
R. S. P. 
Camp Suliat, Panch Mahals, 
7th May 1902. 
—Indian Forester. 
