March, 1909] THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 181 



great commercial value, and .is obtained by making incisions 

 in the bark, through which the latex exudes and afterwards 

 hardens. This operation is called "tapping," and the time at 

 which it may be performed is settled more by the size of 

 a tree than by its age, and usually the smallest size tree tapped 

 would measure 17 or 18 inches in circumference at a height of 

 four feet from the ground. It takes about four years under very 

 favourable conditions for a rubber tree to attain this size, and 

 about six years without careful cultivation. The cups used for 

 collecting the latex are of various sizes, generally about three 

 inches across at the top, with sloping or rounded bottoms, which, 

 however, do not prevent their standing on level ground. Some 

 of the latex hardens about the incisions in the bark before it can 

 flow into the collecting cups. This is known as "scrap," and it 

 has to be removed by hand, or otherwise it would prevent the 

 flow of the latex. This operation has to be performed every day, 

 as, if allowed to coagulate for a period longer than twelve hours 

 it becomes difficult to manipulate. From one variety the latex 

 is obtained from the fruit, which is about the size of a cocoanut, 

 but it is said to be of inferior quality. 



An interesting feature was the collection of fibre plants, the 

 one chiefly cultivated in Queensland being the Agave 7'igida, 

 variety Sisalana, Sisal Hemp, and for the product of which a 

 ready market is found in New York, where it is used in the 

 manufacture of rope. Many plants were in bloom, the bulbils 

 growing in thick clusters, and the inflorescence in some cases 30 

 feet high. This plant has been known to grow for loo years before 

 reaching the flowering stage, and has for that reason been called 

 the Century Plant. Fourcroya gigantea, Mauritius Hemp, 

 is similar in appearance and growth to the Agave, belonging to 

 the same natural order, Amaryllidese ; it sends forth great numbers 

 of leaves, from six to nine feet in length, which produce a great 

 amount of fibre, but it is not of such commercial value as Sisal 

 hemp. Another useful fibre-producer is Musa textilis, Manilla 

 Hemp, which furnishes the well-known Manilla rope. 



Just at the present a great deal of attention is given to the 

 cultivation of the tobacco leaf, chief varieties grown being : — 

 Florida, Brewer's Hybrid, Zimmer's Spanish, and Giant Lemon. 

 Very often the plants are cut down by the severe frosts, 

 but they quickly ratoon again. The cut leaves, after being 

 thoroughly aired in a drying shed, are packed and pressed in 

 boxes, a grader being used to sort the sizes. The stalks are used 

 for snuff-making. 



Some introduced varieties of cotton are grown, such as Upland 

 and Sea Island, but several varieties which produce good cotton 

 now claim attention, these being Truett's Big Boll (a Queensland 

 hybrid), of fine quality, pure white, and a profuse bearer. In 

 cultivation cotton thrives best in a good sandy loam, not too 



