310 



THE AGRICULTUEAL NEWS. 



SErxEMBEK "24, 1904. 



MANUFACTURE OF PANAMA HATS. 



The following iiiterestiiig account oftlie inanutac- 

 tnre of Panama hats from C'a/^"^"'■''' " jxilm'ilo- is 

 taken from the United States Mnntldij Cnix^'hir 

 Ri'ports for April : — 



These hats are made from the coiiiinou fau-shaiied pahii, 

 called • Palmicha,' which grows wild in aVmndance, generally 

 in moderate climate and fairly moist ground. Young shoots, 

 uniform in size, are cut from the plant and boiled to 

 a certain stage, being softened thereby and brought to 

 a light-yellow colour. The process of boiling appears to be 

 an art in itself, and only a few people can turn out good 

 .straw. The boilers sell the straw at so much a pound. 

 according to ijuality and the prevailing prices of hats. 



S:<<:=/ 







The hats made in Snaza distii<-t in Columbia arc 

 considered nmch superior to those made in Ecuador. 



The manufacture of these hats is affected, to a great 

 degree, by climatic influences, an exi>ert hatter Ijeing unable 

 to make as good a hat in the dry, summer weather as during 

 the rainy season ; probably on this account hats in some 

 parts of the Suaza district are superior to those made just 

 a short distance away. 



Long training is necessary to become a good hatter, and 

 the girls are started at the work at the very early age of ten 

 years and must practise constantly. Hatters work every day 

 from early morning, wasting very little time in eating and 

 often carrying on their work by candlelight, so as to finish in 

 time for market day, for the loss of an hour may mean to 

 them the loss of the money which would have been aci|uired 

 from the sale of the hat. 



It may be mentioned that another species of the 

 gen\ts ('<i.iliul()i-icn {('.jamaleensis) yields the straw 

 from which the jippi-jappa hats are made in Jamaica. 

 An interesting account of this plant appeared in the 

 JUilb'fii) iif till' Biifirii ii-iil Di^jiii rtimni, .Jamaica, for 

 Octob.'i- ^m■l. 



Fig. 12. Carludovica palmata. 

 [From Dirtlonary of Gardeuin'j.li 



When the proper boiling point is reached the shouts arc 

 put up to dry and the leave.s (juickly separated. This is 

 done indoors, where there is a cun-ent of air, but no sun- 

 shine. When the leaves are nearly dry, they are split with 

 a little Y-shaiicd instrument of wood, so that every good 

 leaf is the same size. When left alone to dry the leaves curl 

 in at the edges and are then ready- for use, and at this ])oint 

 the straw is carefully wrapped in clean cloths, as the light 

 and dry atmosphere spoils it. When finished the straw is 

 carefully jiared with a pocket-knife and then battered all over 

 with a s)nall hand maul, after which it is washed with 

 '•omnion yellow soap and a little lime juice and left to dry, 

 away from the sunliglit. 



THE SEA ISLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. 



The Ti'ji'ilit Mercury of August 20 ha.s the 

 following interesting note on the Sea Islands anrl 

 cotton production : — 



A few peojile are under the impression that Sea Island 

 cotton is grown in the South Sea Islands, whereas it is in those 

 islands which form an archipelago on the sonth-east coast of 

 the United States, extending from the mouth oftlie Savannah 

 liver northward along the coast to Charleston, that give their 

 name to the special class of black, free-seed, long-staple 

 cotton so commonly mentioned. The four larger islands are 

 James, Edisto, Wadmalaw, and .lohns, which occupy an 

 aggregate area of some 100,000 acres. There are five 

 smaller islands, severally named St. Helena, Lady's, Pari.s, 

 Port Poyal, and Spring. The climate is sitb-tropical and the 

 average annual rainfall about 3-3 inches. The i>recipitation 

 is greatest at the time the cotton plants are growing, between 

 May and August : lowest when they are ripening, from 

 September to November. The islands lie in about -33 north 

 latitude, the .same as Bermuda. After the civil war (1860-4) 

 cotton from the Sea Islands commanded Gx. 3</. to 8.<. 4iL 

 per It). Later on, in 1S67, trouble began in the form of 

 labour difficulties, excessive rains, and the appearance of the 

 destructive cotton worm, and continued for some four or five 

 years. As a consequence, the methods of cultivation had to 

 he altered, the planting of large tracts being discontinued, 

 and replaced by the intense cultivation of smaller areas. At 

 pre.sent the Sea Island planters are enjoying the benefit of 

 this new system, which was introduced first on James Island. 



Lecture Experiments. The teacher should set 

 up tlie experiment before the class, carefully explaining, or 

 rather letting them work out from his remarks, the logic of 

 each stc]). E.ich student should then for himself observe 

 and record results, and deduce conclusions as if the experi- 

 ment were entirely his own. It is particularly necessary that 

 the students understand the exact logic of each step, and 

 that their records should bring it out clearly. Their records, 

 too, should expi-ess and keep perfectly distinct (a) the object 

 of the experiment, (b) the method and apparatus employed, 

 (c) the results actually observed, (d) conclusions. {T/ie 

 Teaching Botanist.) 



