June 1, 1899.] 
SuppUmcnt to the " Tropical Agriculturist." 
889 
In a letter to Sir Frederick Abel, Director of the 
Imperial Institute, J)'- "Watt wrote last year: 
" Villebruiiia can be grown on all waste lands ; it is 
a very fine fibre, and perhaps as strong, if not 
stronger than China grass. . . . All that has to be 
done is to strip the ribbons off the stems. The 
plant produces shoots I'O feet long ; the bark strips 
off easily, but no doubt machinery could be readily 
designed to produce a cleaner and partly 
bleached raw fibre. The most important thing 
about this fibre is that it could be produced at one- 
third the price of Rhea. I trust, with all these 
facts before you, that you may see your way 
to co-operate with me in the effort to give to India 
a perfectly new commercial fibre.'' 
We give below the report by Prof. Danstraie, 
Director of the Scientific Department of the Im- 
perial Institute on Yillebrunia integrifolia : — '■ An 
examination of Ban Rhea fibre was particularly 
asked by Dr. Watt in his letter dated 28th April, 
1898. Unfortunately the untreated bark was sent 
for examination, consisting of the bark peeled from 
the plant— containing the bark fibres in strips 
from 3 to 5 feet in length. The only coarse to 
adopt was to imitate as closely as possible the 
retting process adopted ou an industrial scale, 
which the almost complete absence of gum ren- 
dered possible. Two samples of fibre were 
received. A small quantity of each was placed 
in dishes covered with water, and allowed to stand 
for about three weeks, after which time one of the 
samples was sufliciently soft for the fibre to be 
removed. This was carefully combed and picked, 
and by this means almost 10 grains of a nearly 
clean brown fibre in long silky threads were pro- 
cured. The fibre thus treated was then submitted 
to the usual examination with the following 
results .• — 
licehmeria 
Ban Rhea. nivea. 
Moisture, per cent - - 10 '9.3 9'0 
Ash, per cent • - - 3-52 2 '9 
Hydrolysis («), loss per cent 8'22 1.3"0 
Hydrolysis (/<), loss per cent lo-82 24 0 
Mercerising, loss per cent 8 05 110 
Acid, purification, loss per cent o'09 6'5 
Nitration, gain per cent - o6'88 25 0 
Cellulose, per cent - - 80 0-4 80-3 
Length of ultimate fibre - 40mm, 40 — 200mni3 
and upwards. 
*' It is interesting to compare these number, 
with those obtained in the examination of the 
llbre of IJrvhmeria nivea (commonly known as 
'Rhea' or ' Cliina-grass') made by Messrs. Cross and 
Beven. Dr. Watt has pointed out that these two 
fibres are certainly distinct; tiie Ban Rhea may 
be the raoro important of tlie two owing to 
its growing wild on waste land, to its containing 
little or no gum, nnd olso because it furnishes a 
silky fibre at least as strong as China-grass, witii 
Tvliicl), indeed, it, and not Brphmerin niveu, may 
prove to he identical. A comparison of the results 
of the examination of these two librc'! clearly brings 
out tlio superiority of the Ban Khoa, especially in 
regard to its smaller loss by hydrolysis aud its 
highi-r nitration uumli'ir. At the same time it must 
be remembered that the proce.ss adopted in treat- 
ing this fibre in the Liborutory only very roughly 
npproxiniatt's to that yfhich would be used on a 
" Portions of the original samples have been 
submitted to a fibre expert, who reports that they 
can be readily treated by a special and simple 
process which has recently been devised. Farther 
information as to this process can be supplied if 
this aspect of the matter is thought to be of 
importance, 
" In any case a sample of the properly retted 
and prepared fibre should be sent for chemical 
examination." 
AN ENTERPRISING INDIAN AGRICULTURIST 
The idea of dariries proper is generally associ- 
ated in the European mind with Europe, at least — 
in the English mind with the brightest and prettiest 
portions of the pasture lands of the home-country. 
Fe v would have expected to find in such a place 
as Grant Road Bridge, Bombay, a dairy which 
might rival in cleanlinees, nicety of arrangement, 
atid completeness of appliance any establishment 
of the kind, no matter where it be situated. Yet 
such there is, and its progress under the direction 
of Mr, N. H. Patuck appears to have been wonder- 
ful. That gentleman showed a number of visitors 
interested in dairy work the process of milk 
sterilisation, and pasteurisation and it is not too 
much to say that it could|nct have been more perfect- 
ly accomijlished. Every detail from the cleaning 
and sterilising of the tins to the final corking — or, 
more properly speaking, air-light closing — of the 
bottles was carefully and scientifically carried out. 
Then by means of a De Laval separator (one of the 
cleverest appliances of its kind), the heavy cream 
particles were divided from the milk, passed on 
to the churn, and made into excellent butter, la 
these days when nearly every young lady at home 
is a more or less accomplished butter-maker, and 
the knowledge of farming is spread through the 
length and breadth of the land by means of techni- 
cal education, everyone knows about dairies, and 
what science has done for their pgrfection. It is 
unnecessary, therefore, to describe in detail that 
most modern one, over which Mr. Patuck preside?. 
Suffice it to say that, it is shortly to be transported 
upcountry, where the milk is better and cheaper, 
and from whence people in tlie city will be provid- 
ed with absolutely safe milk — what until very 
recently has been a non-existent in the East. 
Under the circumstances Mr. Patuck himself is 
of the greatest interest, especially in view of the 
knowlegde of Indian agriculture of which lie is 
possessed. 
Born in Bombay, this gentleman, after going 
through university course and passing his B.A , 
wont up to the Scliool of Agriculture at Madras — 
the only available one at the time. He came 
through all his examinations, and ended first itt 
the first class. Several Native Princes at once 
offered him appointments, and among these the 
late Maharnja jlolker, who was an enthusiastic 
agriculturi^t, in Central India, ilr. Patuk engaged 
Inmself to the latter, and for tea years continued 
in the Prince's service, the arrangement being that 
a salary of K200 a month should bo given with a 
half elinre in profits. 
" That must have been a very good thing," was 
remarked by one who overhead Mr. Patuck, U) 
aaswtir to iucjuiiies nuaatiug his hlitjr^-," 
