396 
3. Opuntia Dillenti, Haw. Very common close to the sea in 
Grand Canary, and used for hedges in Teneriffe. This is 
the O. Tuna of Webb and of Bourgeau No. 263, and also 
of Pitard and Proust. 
The spines of this plant are used in the cochineal 
industry to pin on the rags that protect the insect. — 
4, Opuntia monacantha, Haw. Only found by me once in Grand 
Canary—probably in what had been a garden. 
5. Opuntia robusta, Wendl. Cultivated, I believe, formerly for 
Cochineal, now allowed to grow in a wild state in Teneriffe 
for its fruit, which according to Schumann “ Gesamt- 
beschreibung des Kakteen,” p. 742, is considered in Mexico 
one of the best to eat. 
6. Opuntia tomentosa, Salm-Dyck. In Teneriffe, but not very 
plenti n some plants [ found Cochineal doing well. 
7. Opuntia sp., from Grand Canary—a plant with rather long 
ark thorns, a specimen of which is now in cultivation in 
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, as No. 33,924. It 
has not yet been identified. 
8. Opuntia sp. Another species with straight spines from 
eneriffe. A specimen of which is now in cultivation at 
the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 
M. BurRKILL. 
Marram Grass for Paper-making—Among other plants suggested 
as suitable for the Paper-maker which have recently been examined 
in this connection is the common Marram Grass of our coasts, 
Ammophila arenaria, Link. 
This grass, as is well known, is grown on the sand hills around our 
shores and acts as a very valuable sand-binder. It now appears that it 
possesses quite useful qualities as a source of material for paper- 
making. Messrs. Clayton Beadle and Stevens have kindly 
examined a consignment of Marram Grass sent through Kew from 
the Norfolk sand hills. They inform us that the grass was boiled 
under pressure, without passing through crushing rollers, and then 
bleached. The figures for the yield of unbleached and bleached 
fibres, expressed on the original green weight of stem as received and 
on the dry weight, are as follows :— 
ii. Green Stem. Dry Stem. 
nbleached .... coe 17°F per cent. 31° ent. 
Bleached ves ins SI : 260 ee 
The average length of unbeaten fibres contained in the pulp 
taken on an average of ten measurements was found to be 0°65 mm. 
Marram Grass is found to produce a soft pulp with a short tear 
which more nearly resembles in general feel and external appearance 
the pulp produced from Esparto or chemical aspen wood pulp. 
The ptimary function of Marram Grass is of course as a sand- 
binder, but it is possible that should it be deemed of sufficient 
Importance as a paper-making material its cultivation could be 
extended over considerable tracts of sandy country bordering the 
coast In various parts of the British Isles. 
