Aug. 1, 1899.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICtLTtJRIST. 
gamming which had hitherto proved such a fruitful 
source of difficulty had long been overcome by us ; 
the gum question presented no terrors nor difficulties 
to us ; by our method ungumming is simple and the 
durability of the fibre ii unsurpassed as is proved 
by the yarns which have been in use now three 
years, they are as strong now as when first prepared. 
1 refer to those made at Staines. I have products 
prepared by onr process which have been in use 
ten years and are as good now as ever. I will deal 
wi.h the ob -tacles as they appeared at the initiation 
of ou.1. vvorki at Staines: 
1st. Supply. — There is a vast supply in China, 
where the natives have cultivated it and all the 
best textiles are made from it. The wealthy Chinese 
hold it in high esteem and it fetches high prices. 
Very small quantities compared with the vast crops 
grown, unfortunately, have yet found their way out 
of China. We have based our calculations on the 
price of raw material at f.SO per ton, and at this 
price I cau show a paying industry competing with 
flax, but I am promised contracts a?, low as £20 
per ton; this will open up a ?ast field and enable 
us to compete with cotton. India produces vast 
quantities in a wild state, these will have to be 
brought under cultivation. Dr. Morris, of Kew, re- 
commends Ramie to the planters who cannot make 
sugar pay. It wonld be a boon to our West India 
Colonies. The Australian Colonies are growing Ramie, 
Queensland and N. S. Wales have sent us splendid 
quality. The TJ. S. Government are recommending 
it to their farmers and the Government has voted 
a large sum §145,000 to the estHnlisiiuient of ex- 
perimental plantations. Mexico, it appears from a 
consular report, shows 145 per cent profit in ramie 
growing. From South America I have spleudid 
samples, and as many as four crops in the year are cut ; 
and I am pr emised regular supplies at a price which 
will put Ramie on the market a competitor to 
cotton. There is a vast field in Egypt and the Soudan. 
Thus Goverumeut of Natal is recommending Ramie 
growing. Plantations are already started in Borneo, 
Cej'lon, Straits Settlements, Formosa, Java and 
Malay Peninsular. Corea produces splendid Ramie 
and the Japanese are turning their attention to 
Ramie growing. In short I hear from all quarters 
of the globe, of the great advance in Ramie growing, 
and I have not the slightest doubt it will prove a 
strong rival to cotton. To our colonies I would 
suggest Ramie growing, and by the use of our de- 
coricators, ribbons could be prepared while a green 
state for the ungumming process, and filasse should 
be prepared on the plantations ; it is a simple op- 
eration and the plant would not be expensive. The 
filasse so produced would be far superior to that 
produced from the dried ribbons, and in addition 
thei'e would be a great saving in freight the waste 
products viz., the leaves and lateral shoots would 
produce an invaluable pulp for high class paper 
making and command a high price. 
3nd. Decortication. — In China this is accomplished 
by hand labour. The operator strips the ribbons 
from the steam and scrapes the fibre, removing the 
pelicule or brown bark and much of the pectose 
gummy matter while in a green state. The natives 
of India merely strip the plant and make no at- 
tempt to clean them. These rhea ribbons command 
a much lower price than the Chinese cleaned strips. 
Our decorticator cleans the ribbons similarly but 
in a more perfect condition to that produced by 
Chinese hand labour, removing considerably more of 
the pectose in its fluid state. 
3rd. Preparation. — The next difficulty is dressing 
the fibre ready for the spinner; hitherto the ex- 
pensive process of preparing on silk dL-easing ma- 
chinery has stood in the way, and when v/e can 
turn out an arti- ie absolutely without v/aste beyond 
the shorts or noils which i,xist in the fibre at a 
cost of one-half penny, which hitherto has cost 9d. 
we can claim success and considerable advance. 
4th. Spinning : — This is now a simple process, our 
wet spinning frames produce an even yarn, grasing 
is no longer necessary and the strength and lustra 
of the fibre is materially advanced by its ab- 
olishment. 
Lasthj Market. — On account of its great strength 
and lustre it is specially in demand for lace, duck, 
khaki, sail cloth, fishing lines, braiding, tapeftry, 
and all purposes where special strength or lus':re is 
of advantage. It mixes with and fortifies v/eak 
wools. And as tlie price of raw material is lessened, 
so in proDortion will the demand increase. Our 
latest is milo-thread. For yacht sails it his arViieved 
a great success; ''the Defenders" sails were Ramie. 
The Bona, one of the most successful English yachts, 
carried Ramie sails made by our piocess. As the 
fibre does not rot in vv^ater it is particularly ap- 
plicable to fishing nets, rails and rigging, and its 
great strength commends it further for these pur- 
poses. — " Planter." 
NEW PROCESS OF TE\ MANUFACTURE 
IN COLOxMBO. 
A SERIES OF INVENTIONS. 
THE NEW VENTILATING FAN 
At Messrs. Davidson & Co.'s Sirocco works in 
Forbes Road, iyfaradana, Mr. F. G. MaGuire has 
just finished erecting a complete plan for the manu- 
ficture of tea by "hot process," and has put 
through the fiist break from start to finish. He 
manufactures on Tuesdays and Fridays ; but on 
other days visitors will be wellcomed. The factory 
is fitted throughout with nothing but Davidson's 
patent mahinery, and includes several novel features. 
First of all there is the new withering maohine, 
which is the only one at present erected in the 
island, though previously a model one, with which 
experiments have been conducted, was set up on 
Polatagama estate in the Kelni Valley, and which 
existed all last year. The machine is capable of 
keeping two rollers going, and is driven by a new 
and ingenous engine which has proved quite a success 
at home. It is a highspeed engine without any pack- 
ing, except on the piston ring. The governor aud the 
valve also are both sitiuated inside the steam chest 
and this forms a special feature of the invention, for, 
as shown by Mr. INIaGuire, the governor regulates the 
working ol the maohine to a nicety uuapprov-.ched 
by an outside governor. The main bearing an l crank 
shaft, too, are submerged in oil, and an indicator is 
fixed to the outside of the oil bath, to constantly 
show the depth of oil. 
Even when wet leaf is put into the wilherer, in 
an hour's time it is ready for the roller, and in three 
hours the whole process from green leaf to black 
tea — but not the grading, &c. — is completed. With 
the roller, experiments are now being carried on to effect 
an increased degree of pressure bv means of inter- 
changeable cones in the centre rolling table. From 
the roller the tea passes into au evapoi-ator, the 
object of which is to decrease the percenta,'<e of 
water to obtain a good twist on the leaf in the 
second rolling. This machine i= fitted with one of 
the new patent fans, encased aud driven by its own 
little engine. Tlie dovi'n draft sirocco for ficing is, 
of course, familiar to our readers ; but at Maraciana 
this also is fitted with a new fan, in place of a 
chimney, for the blast. Besides requiring a far less 
quantity of fuel the driver now consumes its own 
smoke, so that nothing but clear gas issues from 
the shaft. Then at the other end of the room, is 
one of Davidson's large sorting machires and a 
Davidson-MaGuire Packing Machine, on which th s 
morning twenty Acme chests were being placed in 
position to receive the first batch of tea, to lie sent 
to Belfast to be sampled and sold. lu course of 
time some of the bi-eaki m^d■ ; will be put ou 
the local market ; and experimenis will be carried 
on for another month. The leaf from which the 
first break of tea has been m \de was bought from 
a native estate in Kaduganawa at 6 cents a lb., 
and Mr. MaGuire claims that from this inferior 
material he has made good tea. The tea continues 
