25 



ground. It (the water) happened to contain the seed 

 of the Calotropis, and the consequence was the whole 

 space was covered with Calotropis jungle close and 

 six or seven feet high."* 



31. The cost of manufacturing the fibre, which 

 cost of manufacture is estimated at from 60 to 70 per ton. 



the only obstacle. 



e overcome. fe tlie m ^ obstacle to its introduction 

 into the market ; but by utilizing the machine already 

 referred to, this drawback might easily be overcome, 

 and the Calotropis fibre prepared at about 7 per 

 ton. 



32. The following schedule gives the respective 

 schedule of prices of current prices of the fibres which have 



fibres not superior to , -, , 



been pronounced by experts not su- 



perior to that obtained from the Calotropis; it 

 remains for Government to decide whether it is 

 worth while to encourage a trade in this weed. 



* The Superintendent of Cotton Experiments in Sind, in a letter dated 

 15th November, 1877, writes : "I do not think I could give you such an 

 approximate estimate of the cost of bringing one acre of land under culti- 

 vation with Calotropis. It would not be much, as it is a weed here, and the 

 difficulty is to prevent its taking possession of our fields to the exclusion 

 of what are at present more valuable plants, and to my thinking, by the 

 time any one requires to cultivate UK as an agricultural crop, the product 

 may be safely left to take care of itself. In other words, before the avail- 

 able natural supply is insufficient to meet all demands, the article will 

 have such a hold in the markets, both local and foreign, that those inter- 

 ested in its production may be safely left to deal with this as they see 

 most likely to be to their advantage." 



