JUTE SUBSTITUTES 151 



and was regarded by commercial experts as similar 

 to " Daisee " jute from Calcutta. 



Hibiscus tiliaceus. This species is known in the 

 Gambia as " Bafoodo julo." It is widely distributed 

 in tropical countries and yields a fibre of fair quality. 

 A sample from the Gambia, examined at the Imperial 

 Institute in 1907, was fairly lustrous, but rather 

 harsh, and about 5 feet long. Commercial experts 

 reported that it was not of good spinning quality. 



Honckenya ficifolia. This plant, of the natural 

 order Tiliacese, grows abundantly in the swamps of 

 the Sierra Leone Protectorate, and would yield a 

 perpetual supply of stalks for retting if care were taken 

 in cutting it. It is known by the various names of 

 " Napunti " (Timani), " Potepo " (Mendi), and " Bolo- 

 bolo " (Yoruba). 



Attention was directed to the fibre of this plant 

 as long ago as 1888, when a sample, accompanied 

 by botanical specimens, was forwarded from Lagos 

 through the Colonial Office to the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Kew. The fibre was reported by commercial 

 experts to belong to the jute class, to be superior to 

 jute in strength, and to be readily saleable, and worth 

 at that time 16 per ton (Kew Bulletin, 1889, 15). 



The preparation of this fibre was investigated by 

 Government agents in Sierra Leone, who reported 

 that considerable difficulty was experienced in separat- 

 ing the outer bark from the inner fibrous layer, and 

 that this was particularly marked in the case of the 

 older plants. Experiments were made with a view 

 to ascertain whether the fibre could be more success- 

 fully extracted from young plants, but the results 

 were not very encouraging. 



The first sample of fibre forwarded to the Imperial 

 Institute from Sierra Leone consisted of uncombed 

 bast ribbons, which varied in length from 4 to 10 feet, 

 the greater part being from 6 to 10 feet long. The 

 fibre was well cleaned and prepared, but was of poor 

 strength, and varied in colour from white to brown. 

 On chemical examination the material furnished re- 

 sults which show that the " Napunti " fibre closely 

 resembles Indian jute in its Chemical character, and 

 ii 



