63 
for use in the manufacturing linen centres of Scotland no difficulty 
would be experienced. As l have already maintained from what I 
know of other fibres this is one of the most easily dealt with, if the 
best is produced, and will give the most generous results.if reck- 
oned in the dry state with the tons of sap left out of the count as 
it ought to be along with the enormous leafage, all of which ought 
to be got rid of before being handled and the ribbons taken off. 
The broader this is. removed the better. To make ramie pay it 
will have to be handled by the ton and turned out in hundred- 
weights and not in pound's as at present bv the use of patient- 
pottering machines. All this I can do at a comparatively low cost. 
J. ANDERSON. 
(Letter No. 2.) 
Dear Sir,— 1 herewith return part of the ribbons you kindly 
sent me. In the condition you see it the wastage is about 50% 
for comparison I send along with this the best class of Ramie the 
waste on which is 25%. The trouble and expense in cleaning is 
not more than a half as compared with this of vours and the results 
are much superior as it takes on a far better finish, especially as 
the fibre is mature which yours was not. This accounts for the 
woolly look that yours has got. Independent of this if nothing bet- 
ter could be had this of yours would pay to grow. From your ex- 
perimental plot you ought to have no difficulty in showing growers 
what they might except from an acre of suitable ground. You can 
at the same time compare this with flax grown in Ireland and 
which has to be annually sown and which does not yield more than 
an average of 3 cu t. of cleaned flax to an acre worth on an average 
not more than 50/ per cu t. for the past ten years according to printed 
returns. Although I do not regard your ribbons as being the right 
sort I recognise the splendid possibilities of the country you are in for 
the development of this grand fibre and considering the time your 
roots have been in the ground the result is amazing and confirms the 
impression of all I have seen and read that there is nothing grown 
under the sun finer than Ramie and no plant grown for fibre that 
could yield more generous results except Jute. In the condition of 
these samples any quality could be sold and used at prices that neither 
flax no cotton could obtain. 1 have shown these to men largely in- 
terested in manufacturing and they all admit and predict a great 
future for this finest of vegetable fibres. 
J. ANDERSON. 
RECLAIMING ABANDONED MINING LAND. 
Copy of Minute by Mr. Ridley, dated 15th June, 1896. 
Hon. Resident, Selangor, 
1 have carefully read this paper and agree with most of the 
recommendations, though it is probable that in the view of the 
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