The Bapts and Hunet process consists in treating the bark with 
caustic soda at the strength of i/ro or more at a temperature of 
130 to 140° C. under 2.5 kilogrammes of pressure, when the solvent 
iias desintegrated the tissues the pasty mass is passed under per- 
forated cylinders. 
The process of the Ganguellas Negros is worth attention. They 
extract the rubber from roots (of what plant is not stated) they 
wash and dry them and make them into faggots then they are car- 
ried to the villages, where they beat them into pulp with mallets 
afterwards they boil them with water. 
THE CULTIVATION AND TREATMENT 
OF RAMIE. 
{To the Editor of the “ Pinang Gazette. ”) 
SIR, — I have had the pleasure of reading an article from the pen 
of Mr. Curtis in your interesting paper,* on Ramie, Rhea or China 
Grass. From extensive experiments made in the different grades 
of this very fine fibre 1 have arrived at different conclusions than 
the authorities he quotes, and am quite confident that, although the 
ribbon could be delivered at the degum ming factories at £7 9^. a 
ton instead £12 in comparison with other fibres it would pay 
handsomely and be largely used, although £26 a ton was paid for 
it. At that price the finished article would no cost more than 4 d. 
per ft, in a condition similar to the enclosed sample. Contrary to 
the recognised theory I have conclusively proved to my own satis- 
faction that it is one of the least difficult of fibres to prepare for 
manufacturing purposes, and that the returns from dry stems grown 
in suitable localities such as the Straits Settlements far surpass 
those obtained from flax or hemp, with both of which I am intimate- 
ly familiar, were Ramie put to the same ordinary uses as flax. The 
waste after being degummed would scarcely be a half of that in 
flax. I notice that there is a difficulty in connection with the cut- 
ting of the ribbon from the stems and that a machine that will ac- 
complish this at the rate of half a ton a day is needed. There are 
such machines in use, now employed for other purposes, through 
which I have passed stems grown in the Botanic Gardens of Glasgow 
with far more wood than fibre on them and nearly as solid as a 
walking cane. These came out without a particle of wood adhering 
to the ribbon. The machine that I used I am sure would deliver 
not less than a ton of clean ribbon a day. In conclusion, allow me 
to say that no patent machine is needed for the preparation of the 
fibre, and that the process of degumming it cannot be protected. 
If might be kept a secret, but that is all, as I know of half-a-dozen 
ways of doing this, all of which are equally cheap and effective. 
Then the so called expert, whose ignorance of fibre and its treat- 
ment is amply demonstrated hy the absurd and costly methods he 
employs, disappears and the mechanical efforts of the patentee are 
* Bulletin 8. 295, 
