RHEA of Assam, China grass.
Kankhora, Gamb, BENG. Rami, . . . . MALAY. Iowa of lionoa, . . „ Sidziafi, MARIAN IsLaNns, Goon, . . . Poah, . . NEPAL. Cl1R-Ma, TCh0R-ITIA, CHIN. CRIO0C0 . of SUMATRA. China grass, . . . ENO. Keperit, Kapierit, SUNDA.
The plant yielding this valuable fibre is the Urtica nivea, Linn., the Urtica tenacissima, Roxb., the Boehmeria nivea of later botanists, and the Ortie blanche sans dards de la Chine of French writers. The specific names characterize the snow-white, strong fibre, and the nonsstinging nettle. It seems to be also known as the Boeh meria sanguinea, from the circumstance that although when growing the back of the leaf is white, with green veins, at maturity it a.ssurnes a reddish-brown hue. It is a native of ASSRID and of China, seemingly also of Japan, Java, and Borneo, and from it the China grass fibre is obtained, called in China Chu-ma or Tehou-ma. The pre paration of the fibre ia tedious and is what causes the difficulty of sending the fibre at a cheap rate into market.
1869, the Government of India offered two prizes, of .£5000 and £2000, for the best and second best machines for cleaning the fibre, but only .£1500 was awarded for an inferior one. In 1872, out of thirty-two machines entered, only two were actually brought forward, and one of these was withdrawn. The remaining machine, belonging to 3fr. J. Greig, jun., of Edinburgh, was worked during a period of three weeks before Colonel Hyde, tho judge, in the presence of the owner, who had brought it to Saharunpur in person. 'file con ditions were that the machine should turn out a ton of fibre at an expense not exceeding 115, including all items, such as interest, wear and tear, etc., and that the prepared fibre should be equal in value to at least £50 per ton in the English market. The machine was valued at £200. There are now two machines and two processes that claim to treat green fibre successfully. The cultivation of rhea ha.% been successfully intro duced into the south of France, Algeria, and the Southern States of America.
In the native process, 3fajor Hannay writes, when the stalks have become brown for about 6 inches above the roots, the top is seized with the left hand, and the leaves are stripped off by passing the right hand to the ground, near which the stalk is cut. The outer bark has first to be
scmped off with a blunt-edged knife, when the exposed fibre still attached to the woody part of the stalk is exposed to the hot snn to dry. On the third morning, after being exposed to the dew for several hours, the fibre is drawn off. This is done by breaking the woody stalk right through towards the thicker end, and then separating the fibre therefrom, drawing it off slowly towards the small end, and repeating the process as often as necessary, though inuch of the fibre remains, and maybe taken off at a second breaking. The fibrea now require to be carefully washed. The hanks of fibre are then separately twisted at the upper end, and tied up in bundles. When the thmads are required for spinning, they are prepared by draw ing the single hanks several tiines with a blunt edged slip of bamboo held in the right hand, when they are easily opened out to the required fineness with the fingers and thumb nails.' Dr. 3PGowan of Ningpo states that in China the last cutting is made in September, from which the finest cloth is made, the first being inferior, coarse, and hard. On being cut, the leaves are carefully taken off on the spot, the stalks taken to the house and soaked in water for an hour. In cold weather the water should be tepid. After this the plant is broken in the middle, by which the fibrous portion is loosened and raised from the stalk. Into the interstice thus made, the opemtor thrusts the finger nails, and separates the fibre from the centre to ono extremity and then to the other. The stripping process is very easy. The next process is scraping the hemp, to facilitate which the fibre is first soaked in water. The strips of hemp are drawn over the blade of a small knife or scraper from within outwards, and, being pressed upon by the thumb, the fibrous portion of one surface, and the mucilag,inous part of the other, are thus taken off. The hemp is then wiped dq, and the whitest selected for fine cloth. It is afterwards bleached.