68 



THE AGlilCCLTURAL NEWS 



March 2, 1912. 



FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES. 



COCOA-NUT FIBRE. 



The increased e.xtent to which cocoa-nut plantations have 

 been made in Madagascar and the French islands of Oceania, 

 and the fact that many of the plantations have commenced 

 to yield the fruit on such a scale that it may be utilized prac- 

 tically, has led the owners to enquire as to the ways in which 

 the cocoa-nut may best be exploited on a commercial scale. 

 In connexion with the matter, L'E.ipmision Coloniale, which 

 is issued by the Colonial Institute of ^Marseilles, gives an 

 account, in its issue for December 1911, of the method of 

 preparing the tiVire (coir) in the part surrounding the kernel, 

 that is employed in Ceylon, as this is de.scribed by M. Lan, 

 Acting Director of Agiicultiire and Commerce in Cochin 

 China. 



The article mentions, first of all, the fact that the opera- 

 tions begin by the retting of the outer layer of the fruits in 

 stagnant water, in large vessels having a depth of 4 to 5 feet, 

 a length of about 13 feet, and a breadth equal to the depth; 

 they remain there for about two days, at the end of which 

 time they are taken to the combing machines. They are then 

 split into four or five pieces, by children, and subjected to the 

 action of cylindrical combs, moved by a crank, and formed 

 of strong metal points about H inches long. In this way, 

 most of the foreign matters have been removed, after the 

 pieces have been sulijected, on both surfaces, to the action of 

 four such combs. 



The next step in the process is to wash the fibres in tubs 

 of water, in order to lemove the matter that still adheres to 

 them; and when they are ready, they are dried in the sun, 

 being spread out in thin, regular layers for the purpose. The 

 process of drying requires about a day, unless it rains, when 

 the fibres have to be sheltered from the wet until the sun 

 shines again. Drying is aided liy frequently moving the 

 mass, and turning it ckver. 



The dry fibres are then subjected to a further combing, 

 by hand, the eftect being to separate those which are long 

 from the shorter fibres. The former are used in making 

 brushes; the latter are employed in the manufacture of rope, 

 for stuffing mattresses and in making carpets. This comb- 

 ing is conducted with a contrivance which is fixed to a beam 

 embedded in the soil, and possesses triangular teeth 10 inches 



long and U inches apart. The two kinds of fibres obtained 

 are sent to ICurope, where they are employed for the purposes 

 to which they aresuited. 



The annual yield of one tree amounts to 5 or 6 R. of 

 commercial fibre. The average price obtained for this is 

 equivalent to about \'2s. id. per cwt. 



Attention is drawn by M. Lan to the fact that all nuts 

 do not give fibre of the same quality. The best fibre is 

 obtained from tliose that are not quite ripe, the opposite 

 being the fact in regard to the oil. When the fruit has 

 ripened, the fibres obtained from it are hard and difficult to 

 ret; the fibres from unripe fruits are wanting in strength; 

 they are at their best at the commencement of ripening. 

 A useful practice consists in reserving nuts that contain little 

 oil, for the production of fibre. Nevertheless, the latter, even 

 when it is of inferior quality, is sufliciently valuable to pay 

 for the labour that is required for preparing it. 



The article concludes with figures from market reports 

 which indicate that the prices for coir have shown an increas- 

 ing tendency, and it is considered that they will continue to 

 show it for some time. 



International Exchange by the Smithsonian 

 Institution.— The report of the Secretary of the Smithso- 

 nian Institution for the year ending June 30, 1911, shows 

 that, in the international exchange of publications conducted 

 by the Institution, the number of packages handled during 

 the year amounted to 228,698, as compared with 221,625 in 

 the previous similar period. For carrying on this work, the 

 amount required was ."336,95.j The number of packages sent 

 abroad was 187,707, and there were received in return 

 40,991. The apparent disparity between the number receiv- 

 ed and that sent out may be partly accounted for by the 

 fact that many returns from other countries are sent by mail, 

 and not through the exchange service. Another reason is 

 found in the circumstance that the term Package often 

 includes a large number of publications. The figures that 

 are given show that nearly three-quarters of the work of the 

 International Exchanges Office of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion has been conducted on behalf of United States govern- 

 ment establishments. 



