Native methode.—In China, the gathered stems are (1) split longitudinally, with knives of iron or bamboo ; the bark is first removed ; then the lower layer, which is white, and covered with a shrivelled pellicle that comes off by itself, is scraped off; and the interior fibres are removed, and softened in boiling water. In winter, the stems require steeping in warm water, previous to splitting. The fibres are divided into three classes :—The first layer is coarse and hard, and fit ouly for common purposes ; the second is more supple and fine ; the third is available for ex tremely delicate textiles. The stems are bleached by tying them up in little sheaves, and exposing them on the roof to the sunshine by day, and dew by night. The process requires 5-7 days. In wet weather, they are put under cover in a draught ; if rained upon, they turn black. (2) After peeling the fibres, they are tied in skeins, and steeped in water for a night ; they are then spun on a wheel ; and are again steeped in water containing the ashes of burnt mulberry wood. Next they are divided into packets of 5 oz., and placed for a night in a mixture of equal measures of pure water and powdered chalk ; on the following day, they are boiled in water containing straw ashes, which renders them white and supple ; after drying in the sun, they are rebelled in clean water ; well washed ; and finally dried in the sun. (3) The fibres are boiled in lime-water; well washed ; and spread out on the surface of water during the day ; at night, they are taken, and dried ; the process is repeated daily till they are quite white. (4) The extracted fibres are simply softened in the steam of boiling water.
In Assam, the stems are gathered in the following way :—The top of the plant is taken in the left hand, and the right hand is passed down to the roots, stripping off all the leaves; the stem is then severed at 2-3 in. from the ground. The fibre is extracted, either at home or on the spot, by one of the following processes :—(1) The stem is broken in the middle, and, after a sharp move ment of the right hand to either side, the thumb is passed up, and the fibre is ripped off with its adherent bark ; the fibre is then steeped in water for a few hours, which removes much foreign matter ; the small end of the fibre and bark is attached to a hook ; taking one strand at a time, the operator holds the thick end in his left hand, while, with slight tension, he passes his right thumb along the inside of the strand, and thus disengages the bark. The latter falls off, and any remaining feculent matter is expressed by a blunt knife. The finished bundle is most carefully dried in the sun, or in a draught, and is then put aside. (2) The bark is scraped from the individual stems by a blunt knife, leaving the fibre on the woody portion of the stalks, which are then sun-dried for 2-3 days ; on the third morning, after several hours' exposure to the dew, the fibre is removed by breaking the woody stalk towards its thick end, and drawing the fibre off towards the small end; the thick end is then similarly stripped. This process leaves about one-fifth of the fibre adhering to the stem.
In Java, the methods resemble those of China and Assam. In Borneo and Sumatra, the stems, tied in bundles, are subjected to a retting process before stripping ; this usually lasts for 5-6 days, but is oeeasionally extended to 14 days. A day's work is variously estimated at 1-2i lb. of fibre.
Improved methods.—The tedious and expensive, though efficient, methods practised by the natives of the E. Indies are unsuited to the conditions attendant upon extensive operations. On this account, the Indian Government, represented especially by Dr. J. Forbes Watson, Reporter on the Products of India, has long been engaged in endeavours to solve the problem of the preparation of the fibre on a commercial scale. Despite the offer of large money prizes, no apparatus or process,
fulfilling the condition of preparing a fibre worth 50/. a ton at a cost of 15/. a ton, seems as yet to have been invented. Before detailing the several machines which have been intended to satisfy the above condition, it will be convenient to notice the chief characteristics of the stem of the plant, as bearing upon the means suitable for extracting its fibres.
In length, thickness, and woodiness, the stems most nearly resemble hemp (Cannabis sativa); but they differ in being much more succulent, 100 lb. of fresh stems yielding only 17-25 lb. dry, as against 40-55 lb. The yield of fibre from the dried stems is about alike-15-17 lb. in 100 ; but calculated from the green stems, 100 lb. Bcehmeria give only 5 lb. raw fibre as brought to market, or 3-4 lb. when freed from gum, as against 9-12 lb. in the ease of hemp. One of the greatest difficulties encountered in the treatment of Bcehmeria stems is the quantity and acridity of the gummy matters contained in them, and which, on exposure to the air, rapidly coagulate, and become insoluble in water. In the case of similar fibrous plants—as flax, hemp, jute,—the removal or destruction of this gum is effected by " retting," or subjecting the stems to partial fermentation by soaking them in water. The succulent nature of the plant under notice greatly increases the difficulty of con trolling the fermentation, so as to avoid injury to the fibres. Ratting the green stems would, probably, be quite impracticable ; but if the stems were dried, assorted according to their develop ment, and submitted to a preliminary crushing, to equalize the fermentation, the operation would be much simplified. Hitherto, every improved machine or process seems to have been destined for the treatment of the stems in a green state, and, indeed, the competition for the prizes offered by the Indian Government was limited to plans for extracting the fibre from the green stems. This is to be regretted, the more so as the fibre extracted from dried stems has proved to be at least as strong and lustrous as that procured from green stems. Moreover, the former plan presents several important practical advantages over the latter:—(l) The woody core and outer bark of the stem, when in a dry, friable condition, are much more easily separated from the fibre. (2) Dry stems might keep the machinery employed at all seasons ; whereas green stems would be procurable only at intervals. (3) By using dry stems, the factory might be dissociated from the plantations, and form a central market for the crops grown at some distance around, by ryots, and others. Four tons of dried stems yield one ton of fibre, so that freight would not be expensive. To use green stems, the factory must be immediately at hand, as the supply must be daily, and the freight is multiplied fivefold. (4) The proportion of fibre extracted seems to be greatly in favour of acting upon the dry stems. (5) The possibility of producing uniform qualities of fibre would be much increased by sorting the large quantities of stems available for treatment in the dry. On the other hand, must be stated some possible drawbacks to treating the dry stems :—(1) The removal of the gummy matter may probably be less efficiently performed in the dry way, than by careful scraping and washing of the green stems. (2) In some localities there would be great difficulty in drying the stems during the rainy season ; but where such were the case, the stems might be left to grow during that period, producing a coarser, but probably stronger, fibre.