8o8 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  1896. 
being  brushetl  in  a brushing  macbine.  It  is 
strongly  leccnnrcndeil  Ibac  planters  sboirkl 
adopt  the  brushing  machine,  as  carefully  brushed 
fibre  realizes  uruch  higher  prices,  an  increase  of 
frcnr  ^2  to  £4  per  toir  being  obtainable.  One  brusher 
will  suffice  for  10  extractors,  arrd  an  cngino  of  8- 
horse  power  will  drive  the  whole.  After  brushing,  the 
fibre  must  be  made  into  small  bundles  of  about  ;5 
or  4 ins.  in  diameter,  secured  by  a strand  of  the 
fibre,  and  their  pressed  into  bales  of  2 or  3 cwt. 
each. 
The  average  market  price  varies  from  £22  to  £28 
per  ton,  and  l,t00  leaves  wid  usually  produce  from 
50  to  GO  lbs.  of  cleaned  fibre. 
The  husks,  having  been  soaked,  are  rolled  or 
crushed  to  strengthen  them  and  render  them  ready 
for  the  subsequeirt  extraction  of  the  coir  fibre.  That 
part  of  the  finre  which  is  irot  draw'ir  into  the  ex- 
tracting machine  is  catled  “ brush  fibre.”  It  is 
afterwards  combed  and  prep.ared  for  brooms  and 
brn-Ties.  When  the  husks  are  green  and  immature, 
and  it  is  not  required  to  keep  tire  brush  lilrre  sep- 
arate, a special  extracting  machine  is  employed, 
which  turns  the  entire  husks  into  fibre.  This  machine 
is  also  employed  for  producing  fibre  from  the  bark 
of  the  fibre-bearing  trees,  the  bark  or  husks  being 
carried  through  the  feed  rollers  and  reduced  to 
fibre  by  the  action  of  the  cylinder.  Usually,  1,000 
coconuts  ore  estimated  to  give  off  from  90  to  120 
lbs.  of  spinning  fibre  and  from  15  to  25  lbs.  of  brush 
Aftrr  extracting,  the  fibre  is  passed  through  a 
willovviug  machine,  which  frees  it  from  shorts,  hards, 
dust,  and  other  extraneous  niatter,  one  willow  and 
one  husk  crusher  serving  10  extracting  machines. 
The  bailing  of  the  fibre  is  performed  by  either 
hydraulic  or  screw  presses,  according  to  requirements. 
All  these  operations  being  completed,  the  various 
fibres  arc  ready  to  bo  spun  into  yarn  and  made  into 
goods  for  the  market. 
Should  the  fibre  have  been  made  into  bales,  it 
requires  Oj  ening  out,  an  operation  that  is  peifoimcd 
by  a fibre-opening  machine.  The  fibres  are  hackled 
or  straightened  with  hand  hackles,  worked  by  women 
or  girls.  The  next  process  is  the  spinning.  This 
is  done  mechanically  hy  a machine  specially  con- 
structed for  planters  ami  small  manulactiiieis.  The 
prepared  fibre  is  fed  into  the  machine,  and  is  made 
into  yarn  and  automatically  wound  on  to  a bobbin, 
and,  as  scon  as  it  is  full,  the  liobbin  is  taken  out 
and’  replaced  hy  an  empty  one,  the  operator  regu- 
lating tlie  thickness  of  the  yarn  and  the  speed  of 
the  machine.  The  machine  is  stated  to  occupy 
only  four  square  feet,  and  six  machines  are  driven 
by  1-horsc  power.  , . . 
Our  illustration  shows  a plaiting  machine  lor 
making  plait  for  mats,  but  Mr.  Lehmann  also  sup- 
pTes  improved  power  looms,  besides,  other  fibre-mani- 
jjuluting  pLuit,  for  weaving  co.onui  matting,  Manilla 
carpetings,  and  such  like  heavy^  goods  from  coir, 
Manilla,  heneqnen,  and  similar  fibres.  The  power 
loom  is  constructed  in  four  distinct  models  of  fram- 
ing to  suit  the  various  descriptions  of  goods  it  is 
intended  to  v.eave.  foernut  matting  is  made  on 
the  heaviest  models,  and  ordinary  sacking  or  bag- 
ging on  the  lightest. 
The  loom  is  constructed  in  various  widths,  ran- 
ging from  30  to  80  ins.  reed  space,  this  depending 
upon  the  width  of  goods  to  be  woven.  The  training 
of  the  loom,  as  regards  the  strength  of  the  working 
parts  is  the  same,  whether  for  coir  or  Manilla  goods, 
the  o’nlv  difference  being  in  the  taking-up  motions 
for  Ihe'woien  fabric.  Tor  coir  goods,  the  warp 
varns  arc  drawn,  from  a spccia  ly  constructed  creel 
placed  at  the  back  of  the  iorm,  through  cast  iron 
riuted  rollers,  and  the  woven  material  is  drawn  out 
of  iho  looms  by  means  of  two  similarly  fluted  cast 
iron  rollers.  For  Maui  la  go  ds,  the  warps  enter  the 
loom  in  the  same  manner,  but  the  woven  fabric  is 
automatically  wound  on  a beanr  funiishe  i with 
spiked  teeth,  which  mamtaiii  a firm  grip  of  Iho 
cloth  and  etfect  an  evmi  folding.  The  sleys  are  inade 
with  shntilo  boxes  largo  oimugh  to  hold  shutiles 
containing  cops  15  ins.  long  by  2J  ms.  in  diameter 
cr  Manilla  yarn.  These  cop.s  are  formed  by  a 
spicially  constructed  winding  machine,  which  gives 
off  the  yarn  from  tlie  inside  of  the  cop,  so  that 
the  w’holo  may  bo  w’oven  with  a minimum  ot  waste. 
Each  loom  is  supplied  complete  with  full  set  of 
reeds,  harness,  shuttles,  pickers,  and  strapping  up. 
Tor  making  figured  or  fancy  goods,  the  tops  of  the 
the  looms  arc  furnished  with  a “ dohby  ” or  .lacqnard 
apparatus,  wh  ch  has  a miinber  of  shafts  correspon- 
ding to  the  patlern  to  bo  woven.  All  the  motions 
are  described  as  self-acting,  the  framework  and  the 
working  parts  being  strong  and  heavy,  and  the  sley 
so  arranged  that  it  can  be  made  to  beat  up  twice 
or  thrice  to  each  pick,  according  to  the  description 
of  goods  in  the  loom.  When  very  heavy  goods  are 
being  woven,  tlie  loom  should  be  stopped  after  each 
pick,  that  is,  after  the  sley  has  been  knocked  up 
to  the  required  number  of  beats.  This  is  done  by 
the  weaver  placing  his  foot  on  a lever,  moving  the 
driving  strap  to  the  loose  pulley,  and  thus  stopping 
the  loom.  The  weaver  than  draws  np  the  weft 
tightly  with  his  hand  and  starts  again.  This  oper- 
ation ensures  good  and  peifect  selvages.  When  the 
lighter  goods  are  being  w'oven,  this  stopping  is  not 
necessary,  as  the  yarns,  being  lighter,  are  more 
manageable.  In  the  general  arrangement  of  the 
looms,  the  parts  are  so  well  constructed  that  they 
are  claimed  to  combine  efficiency  with  a minimum 
of  wear  and  tear. 
In  sacking  and  matting  making,  various  other 
machines  are  employed,  such  as  shearing  machines, 
for  cutting  the  pile  of  the  mats,  calendering  machines, 
plaiting  m ichiues,  such  as  that  illustrated,  and 
combing  and  measuring  machines. 
Generally  speaking,  coir  yarn  is  exported  in  the 
spun  stale,  the  spinning  being  done  by  hand.  With 
iMr.  Lohmaiin’s  machines,  how'ever,  tee  pfianter  may 
el'fcct  a considerable  saving  ia  labour  by  doing  his 
spinning  mechanical  ly. 
Tiie  machines  can  be  run  hy  steam,  water,  or 
cattle  power,  a small,  compact  plant  for  producing 
about  2801b.  of  coir  yarn  per  12  hours  consisting  of 
three  macliiiics  arranged  lor  spinning  a d one  for 
doubling,  which  are  suppilied  witli  cattle  gear,  in- 
teriiicdiate  motion,  shafiing,  hangers,  pulleys,  all 
sirappiiig,  a set  of  baud  liacklos  tor  preparing  the 
fibre,  and  necessary  bobbins,  all  couijjlele.  The 
operation  of  spinning  is  easily  learnt,  and  is  so 
siinpile  that  a native,  with  no  previous  knowledge  of 
spinning,  can  learn  to  spin  on  these  machines  and 
become  proficient  af^er  14  days’  expjcriencc.  In  spin- 
ning, the  main  point  to  be  kept  in  view  is  that  the 
fibres  must  be  prepared  by  hackling  by  means  of 
hand  hackles,  and  the  better  they  are  prepared  the 
better  will  be  the  quality  of  the  yarn,  both  as  re- 
gards strength  and  appearance,  and  the  larger  will 
be  the  pioductioii.  Wbon  the  fibres  are  more  than 
■J.  ft.  in  length,  they  should  be  opened  out  in  the 
fibre-opening  machine,  vvlticb  is  made  in  two  sizes 
No.  A for  producing  heavy  yarns  for  ropes  and 
No.  r>  for  spinning  fiiiQr  yarns  for  twines,  cords, 
lines,  matting,  sackling,  Ac.  Five  feet  by  three  is 
all  the  space  occupied  by  these  niacliiues. 
Each  machine  is  perfectly  independent  in  its 
working,  thus  obviating  a great  objection  against 
spinning  mavbinery  working  in  sets,  where  faciliti.  s 
for  repairs  are  few  and  far  between  and  very  ex- 
pensive. Generally,  female  spinners  are  employed  • 
their  labour  is  cheaper,  and,  being  lighter 
handed,  they  can  produce  better  yarn  than  men. 
'They  soon  learn  to  regulate  the  sizes  of  the  yarn, 
so  us  to  vary  them  according  to  requirements.  When 
spun  and  doubled,  coir  yarn  is  made  into  hanks,  by 
means  of  a small  machine,  called  a lianking  ma- 
chme,  which  makes  the  contents  of  10  bobbins  into 
liuiiks,  or  iO  hanks  at  a time,  ready  for  being 
baled  for  exp  rt. 
W e may  add  that  these  macliines  are  constructed 
witJi  ihe  object  of  giving  tho  planter  or  inanufac- 
turor  tho  benefit  ot  a larger  produclion  with  a 
given  quantity  of  iii.ichines,  the  designer  having  had 
a practical  exptrienco  in  this  industry  extoudiag 
over  a number  cf  years.  They  are  also  specially 
coiistmclcd  with  a view  to  their  being  manipulated 
by  natives,  without  tho  necessity  for  skilled  labour. 
