PAl'ER MATERIALS. 127 



from which the plant turned out to be Yucca brevifolia, 

 described in California previously, but incorrectly, as Yucca 

 Draconis. Forests of this plant existed in the Mohave 

 desert for several miles, through which the Southern Pacific 

 Railway runs. The stem of this plant, which grows to a 

 diameter of a foot or moi'e, is of a very fibrous character, 

 and it was soon found to be an excellent paper material, 

 in consequence of which the plants have been systematically 

 cut down and turned into paper, which was at one time 

 used almost, if not quite, exclusively for printing the Daily 

 Telegraph upon. 



Amongst other vegetable substances more or less suit- 

 able for paper-making that have been brought to notice at 

 Kew during the past ten years may be mentioned the 

 following : 



Cavanillesia platanifolia. A plant belonging to the 

 Malvaceae, found abundantly in the eastern part of the 

 State of Panama, and as far east as Carthagena, known as 

 VOLANDERO. The fibrous bark was found to pulp well, 

 bleach readily, and to make a strong opaque white paper of 

 fine quality. This was tested in 1877. 



Uniola virgata. A grass locally abundant in Jamaica. 

 In consequence of its bulky nature it would not pay to 

 send it in its raw state to England, but it might be 

 exported in the form of paper stock, and form a somewhat 

 inferior substitute for Esparto. It was tested in 1876. 



Calotropis gigantea. Under the name of MUDAR this 

 asclepiadaceous plant is well known in India, where the 

 fibre from its stems is used in making cordage, and the floss 

 from the seeds for stuffing cushions, and occasionally for 

 weaving. It was first proposed as a paper material in 

 1877, but the trials made with it were not satisfactory. 

 Again, in 1880 it was spoken favourably of in a report from 

 India, but it has still not been received favourably in this 

 country. 



