371 



Referring to the Kew Museum of Economic Botany, I was 

 informed by Mr. Hillier .that in the Cuban Catalogue of textile 

 materials in the Paris Exhibition of 1900, there is the following 

 brief allusion to what is no doubt, S. grandis, « II y a d'autres 

 plantes textiles, com me la Lengua de Vaca, Sansevieria sp.' The 

 term, Cow's tongue, appears to be appropriate to the form of 

 the leaf of this species. 



" Regarding the value of the fibre, a specimen of rope made from 

 it, given me by Dr. Heath, was submitted by the Director of the 



to™ Gardens Kew > to Messrs. Ide & Christie, Fibre Brokers, of 

 ti Mark Lane, E.C., who report that, 'it is a good class fibre, 

 much liked ; its value to-day (September, 1902) is £35 per ton ; 

 but that it is not a regular article of commerce, only odd sample 

 bales having been received in this country. The plant thrives in 

 Cuba, but money is wanted to develop the industry.' 



■* It remains to add that its native country, though unknown, may 

 be presumed to be tropical Africa, whence ten species have been 

 described, of which six, including the present, have been figured 

 in this Magazine. 



" Sansevieria grandis forms a strong tuft in a bed in the 

 Temperate House, where it flowered for the first time in July 1901." 



This plant has since been propagated and distributed to various 

 botanical centres in the Colonies. 



J. H. H. 



Elandsbontjes, or Intolwana, of Natal— In the Kew Bulletin 



for September, 1887, p. 13, a brief reference was made to the 

 root of this plant as a tanning material, specimens of which 

 were exhibited in the Natal Court of the Colonial and Indian 

 inhibition, 1886, and more recently at the South African 



*"« inane {mephantorrluza llurcfieim, mn.; is urawiwu ^ - 

 shrublet of annual growth 1-2 ft. high from perennial roots, whicb 

 are very large and thick. All grazing animals, both wild and 

 domestic, are said to be exceedingly fond of the plant, which is 

 very common in grassy places between the Klipplaat and Zwartfcey 

 nvers, in the Zulu country, and also in the Cradock and 

 Queenstown districts. The following analysis of a sample or me 

 fresh root appeared in the Natal Agricultural Journal ana 

 Mining Record for May 24th last, p. 555. 



Moisture 70'66 per cent 



1-57 „ 



• • • • ■ r 



Ash 



Soluble solids..' ... ^'Jf 



Non-Tannin - b 't£ 



Tannins ••■ ••• ' " 



This, when calculated to that of 'the air-dried state ; with 12^5 i per 

 c ent. of moisture, in which condition it would most probably 

 considered commercially, represents : t 



Total soluble extract — *J t F 



Non-Tannins - j^.g J| 



. As WaUlT^ark contains 35 to 38 per ^^^i^d 

 f inferior in this respect and the greater difficulty in grow 

 harvesting it would also count against it as compare ^ 



29709 



