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in the successful exploitation of this industry has been the want of 
a cheap and reliable machine for extracting the fibre. This want 
appears to be at last satisfactorily settled by the invention of 
M. Duchemin who has had many years’ experience in Jndo-Chinaas 
President of the Chamber of Agriculture in Tonkin and who appears 
to have successfully overcome this difficulty. 
The following notice of a Public Exhibition of his machine in full 
working which took place in the Botanical Gardens in Buitenzorg is 
quoted from the Straits Times > gth May, 1907. “M. DUCHEMIN, 
the owner and inventor exhibited his machines in full working, in 
the Botanical Gardens in Buitenzorg, before an audience.of interested 
spectators ; among whom w r ere the Head Botanist, Mr. H. J. 
WlGMAN ; his assistant Mr. J. H. Heyl ; the Head of the Agricul- 
tural College Mr. J. PIT; Inspector of the Coffee Department W. C. 
J. VersLUYS, Dr. KLOOS, the French Consul and others. All 
expressed themselves entirely satisfied with the result of the experi- 
ments. M. Duchemin has since exhibited his machine at Salatiga, 
before experts, with the same success; wild pine-apples and pisang 
stems, w f ere satisfactorily stripped before the audience. The exhibi- 
tion is to be repeated at the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce, 
in their building in Semarang, where the members of the Planters 
Society, Semarang-Kedoe, will also be present. The following is a 
specification of the portable ( Duchemin 1 Fibre Tools. (Patented) 
with prices.” 
All Semi-tropical and Tropical Countries possess in considerable 
quantities plants useful and workable for Fibre or Pulp — the various 
species of Lilies, Sansevieres, Bananas etc., growing very large in 
their natural wild state. 
It has been conclusively proved that these plants would give a 
very handsome profit were there some cheap, practical and effective 
means of working same by the aid of native labour on the spot. 
The Patentee of these Machines — M. Duchemin, guided by his 
many years’ experience in Indo-Chlna and during his official 
residence as President of the Chamber of Agriculture in Tonkin, has 
successfully overcome this difficulty; these Machines being both 
portable and eminently practical enabling a small family of natives 
to move easily from place to place and entirely obviating the great 
expense and, in many cases, the unsurmountable difficulty of 
establishing a fixed Engineering Works in the Forests. 
Specification of each of the tools is given in annexed Circular. 
Various official trials having been made in Paris, at the Depart- 
ment of the Minister of Agriculture, Professor RiNGELMANN, in an 
address most favourably reports as under : — 
“ In conclusion, the Defibreur Duchemin is an instrument to be 
much recommended in the Colonics for the extraction of various 
fibres of diverse plants and a most useful tool for native workmen.” 
