156
Mr. Williams sending his hemp to England; I
trat all this will be overcome the moment the ,
railway line from Bombay to Jubbulpore opens,
when the hemp ean be landed at Liverpool in as
many days as it now takes weeks by country
carts and native boats to convey it from the 1
Station to Calcutta, and there is no doubt that
in a very few years hemp, and also flax, will become
large articles of export from the Saugor
and Nerbudda territories.
3,183, Mat grass. Cyperus textilis.
3,1846. Nepal paper bark. Daphne cannabina.
3,190a. Bunkuss. Eriophorum comosmn.
3,190. Great aloe. Fourcroya gigantea.
The leaves, cut close to the stem, are placed
on a piece of board, and beaten w'ith a short
stout stick. After being thus bruised, the pulpy
portions are scraped out with a blunt knife, and
the fibres subsequently washed in clean water
and dried in the sun.
3,196b. Neilgherry nettle. Girardinia heterophylla.
3,204. Hemp. Hibiscus cannabinus.
This plant furnishes a portion of the so-called
“ brown hemp,” exported from Bombay. It is
readily cultivated, and with more attention to its
preparation is calculated to compete with jute.
3,210. Roselle. Hibiscus sabdarififa.
3,218. Sack tree bark. Lepurandra saccidora.
3,220. Flax. Linum usitatissimum.
Flax is mentioned by Strabo as one of the
Staples of this part of India. A small quantity
of Riga seeds, which had been imported experimentally
by Dr. Jameson, Superintendent of the
Government botanical gardens at Saharunpore
was distributed amongst the peasents, with instructions
as to the mode of cultivation; an
agent of great practical experience was deputed
to examine and report upon the qualifications of
different districts for the growth of flax, and a
staff of natives were trained by him to act as
scutchers.
In 1856, two tons of flax produced under
his superintendence in the district of Goojranwalla
were sent to England, and were sold for
921. 2s. 2d., realising a net profit of 47 per cent.
In 1857, 8 cwt. of flax, grown at Juddura, a
tract of country in the Kangra district, bordering
on the river Beas, were sent home, and were
valued at from 551, to 60h a ton.
In consequence of the success of these experiments,
an association, called the “ Indian Flax
Company,” sent out an agent to buy up flax
produce. He made the district of Sealkote his
head-quarters, and as far as could be judged,
had every prospect of ultimate 6uccess, but for
reasons which it is unnecessary to enumerate
here, the enterprise proved a failure.
3,226. Plantain. Musa paradisiaca.
These fibres were prepared from the inner
footstalks of the plantain tree. These w r ere taken
of certain length, placed on a piece of board, and
the pulpy mass scraped out with a blunt knife.
Both sides of the stalks havingbeen thus scraped
whilst clean water was poured on to wash away
the remains of the pulp, the fibres were dried in
the sun.
3,228. Manilla hemp. Musa textilis.
3.232. Bedolee. Pcederia foetida,
3.233. Screw pine. Pandanus odoratissimus.
3,238. Madar-patee. Phrynium dichotomum.
3,240. Moong. Saccharum munja.
This grass supplies a strong good fibre, which
is beginning to attract attention in this country,
and is now being exported from Kurachi in
Sinde.
3.242. Marool. Sanseviera cylindrica.
3.243. Marool. Sanseviera zeylanica.
This plant is both indigenous and common in
the province, growing alike in low, marshy, shady
spots along the coast, as in Balasore, on high
gravelly grounds in the inferior, and in the jungle
in the tributary Mehals. The fibre it yields
in this district is only used for the manufacture
of bowstring.
The sample of rope (see Class XIX.) was made
for the Local Committee by Captain Bond of
Balasore; the leaves are to be had for the col~
lecting. They are, when matured, about two
feet long, and each leaf yields from 30 to
40 threads. The same tedious process of detaching
the thread from the cellular tissue is
employed with this as with the Agave leaf, and
it would be necessary to introduce a mechanical
method of doing so, ere the production could be
made profitable on a large scale. The bowstring
and sample of fibre were prepared to order in
Cuttack. Not being a marketable article, no
attempt at a specification of price can be made.
3.244. Dunchee. Sesbania aculeata.
3,250. Sufed Bariala. Sida rhomboidea.
This fibre is very similarto jute in appearance,
but it is considered to be intrinsically so Superior
that it is worth from 51. to 6/. more per ton, and
it has accordingly been placed next to that fibre,
in order to attract to it the attention which it
deserves.
3,259. Bun-okra. Urena lobata.
This plant is the pest of Rangoon and its
neighbourhood, springing up spontaneously
wdierever the jungle is cleaned, and rapidly
forming a dense mass of luxuriant Vegetation.
The specimen of fibre exhibited has been
manufactured in the jail by simple maceration,
and afterwards beating the stalks. Very good
“ gunny ” has been made from it, and it is
believed that this fibre might, if treated with due
care and skill, prove valuable.
Any quantities of the plant may be had for
the mere trouble of gathering it.
3,265. Adam’s needle. Yucca gloriosa.
