518 REPORT OP THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE.' 



iDflia, and is called Oaclal. Eopes are made from it, used in elepliant 

 hunting. In Goa and Canara capital bags are made by soaking logs of 

 the trunk or large branches for a few days in water, and then stripping 

 off the bark entire and sewing up the bottom. 



Eoyle states that this tree is very common in India, and the rope is 

 made most readily. The bark, or rather all the layers, can be stripped 

 jfrom the bottom to the top of the tree with the greatest facihty, and 

 fine, pliable rope is made from the inner layers, while the outer ones 

 yield a coarser rope, which is strong and durable and little injured by 

 water. 



Compared with jute, according to Dr. Roxburgh's experiments, ster- 

 cuha Sber (S. villosa) stood a strain of 53 pounds, against 68 pounds for 

 jute, Corchorns olitorius — G. capsularis sustaining one pound less. 8. 

 Guttata is used on the Malabar coast for the manufacture of clothing. 



Plagiantl'Ais hetulinas. — The Ribbon Tree.— The species of this small 

 genus are confined to South Australia, Tasmania^ and New Zealand. 

 The species named is a graceful tree, attaining a height of 70 to 80 feet. 

 Dr. Guilfoyle states that the tree is frequently called the " Lace Bark 

 Tree." Its bark is of a beautiful lace-like texture, tearing into shreds 

 with the greatest ease, but flexible and strong. The tree is called Aha- 

 roa by the New Zealanders, who extract a fibrous material from the young 

 branches, known as New Zealand cotton, which is not only fine but ex- 

 ceedingly strong, though resembling flax or hemp rather than cotton. 

 The fiber of the Ribbon Tree is utilized in the manufacture of fishing lines 

 and nets, and to some extent cordage and j^aper. The fiber of this and 

 the following species was received from the Victorian collection (Ex- 

 hibition, 1876) and was prepared by Dr. Guilfoyle. 



Plagianthus pulchellus. — This species is indigenous to Victoria, where 

 it is found growing extensively on margins of creeks and rivers, in the 

 form of a tall shrubby tree. It yields a fine strong fiber sometimes 

 called Victorian hemp, which is considered suitable for whip-cord, fish- 

 ing-lines, nets, fine matting, and paper. 



Ochroma lagopus, — Cork Wood Tree. — A sample of fiber from this 

 plant was received from the West Indies through the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution (18G9). The tree producing it is the well known Cork Wood of 

 Jamaica. It grows to the height of 40 feet, and is found exceedingly 

 common in the West Indies and Central America, particularly on the 

 coast. It is called Balsa. On account of its light and spongy wood, it 

 is used quite extensively for rafts and for floats of fishing-nets. 



The fiber is an ocher-red in color, is very coarse, and of little strength, 

 though it might, if easily obtained, be usefal for mattings and cordage 

 requiring Httle strain. Its fruit or pod produces a silk cotton similar 

 to Bombax, which is used for upholstering purposes. In Venezuela tliis 

 substance is sometimes used for stuffing, but is regarded as of little 

 value, the fiber being short and so smooth and round (like Aselepias 

 down) that it will not felt. 



Kleinlwfia hospita. — This specimen is similar in appearance to Ochroma, 

 and of so slight tenacity that it can only be mentioned as fibrous mate- 

 rial. The species is a low branching tree, a native of the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, extending eastward to the Solomon Isles. Its bruised leaves 

 are said to exhale a perfume similar to that of the violet. The genus 

 consists of but the one species. (Sx)ecimen received Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion 1869.) 



_ Bombax (species).—" Silk Cottons." — There is quite a large series of 

 silk cottons upon exhibition in the museum, principally from South 

 America, the oldest samples having been collected by Lieutenants Hern- 



