July 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S. TF. 585 



A Valuable Fibre Plant {Asclepias semihmata). 



CHAH. A. WHITE, F.R.H.S., &c., Uganda Protectorate. 

 (Late Forest Officer, Coolgardie, W.A.) 



When the Coolgardie gold-fields were first known, the writer was an employee 

 in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens, and having been seriously attacked by 

 the gold fever was, with thousands of others who have been more or less 

 successful, soon upon the field. That was at the end of 1893. Some two 

 years after, while camped near BuUa-Bulling at an old deserted camp, the 

 writer was astonished to find some oats in full ear ; but what struck him 

 principally was a plant producing white clusters of flowers, and large bladder- 

 like capsules containing a fluffy silky fibre like the Scotch thistle, and 

 producing a white milky substance similar to rubber. This plant must have 

 been brought by seed in imported forage. 



When the South African war broke out, the writer this time got the war 

 fever and proceeded to Africa, and remained there, having travelled from the 

 Cape to the Zambesi, Portuguese Africa, and then to the Equator and Congo. 

 In all these countries this particular plant was seen in isolated parts, but 

 not cultivated. Nobody knew of its value, only that the silky cotton could 

 l)e used like Kapok for stuffing furniture, and would not pay to export. The 

 writer merely mentions this to show that it can adapt itself to various 

 climates, although indigenous to the Congo, Uganda, and Abyssinia. While 

 at Uganda, planting rubber at the head of the Nile on the Victoria Nyanza, 

 the writer wanted some rope for a line, and speaking to a native requested 

 him to get some, thinking he would get the bast of a banana. Much to his 

 surprise the boy started pulling this particular plant, and drawing the fibre, 

 then twisting it into rope of remarkable strength. The writer then forwarded 

 samples of rope, fibre, and botanical specimen to the Imperial Institute, 

 London, with the result that the plant was identified as Asclepias seniilunata, 

 and that the fibre, if properly prepared, was worth on the London market, 

 £35 per ton. The examination of samples sent from Uganda has shown 

 that it is very strong and of excellent quality, and would doubtless be useful 

 for cordage manufacture, but has not yet been exported in suflicient quantities 

 iov actual trials on a maniifacturing scale. It is possible that the fibre might 

 also be utilised for the manufacture of explosives, but this question is at 

 present under investigation. The writer has sent to the Hon. John Perry, 

 M.P., a sample of the fibre and a quantitv of seed to test if it can be success- 

 fully grown in New South Wales. The writer feels confident that it can be 

 ])rofitably grown, as its geographical distribution is so well known to him ; he 

 has seen it at an elevation of 7,000 feet above sea level at Johannesburg; 

 also at Rhodesia au'l in Australia, but has not f^een it near the coast, though 



