FIBRES 547 



which obtain leaves from the higher lands often work 

 quantities of the leaves of the former variety. Both 

 varieties will grow on all the soils of the Colony, but the 

 principal factors that appear to be necessary for satis- 

 factory development are a uniformly high temperature 

 combined with an adequate supply of water. If the tem- 

 perature is low growth is slow, and if rainfall is scanty 

 growth is stunted. 



The Mauritius soils are comparatively fertile. They 

 are characterized by a high percentage of iron salts with 

 but little carbonate of lime. They may sometimes contain 

 only small quantities of available potash and phosphates. 

 Soils carrying aloes are generally in wild growth, and 

 therefore do not as a rule show a marked shortage of 

 available elements. The low percentage of calcium 

 carbonate is often noticeable in soils of high fertility 

 under intense culture, and it is conjectured that basic 

 salts of iron may act as bases for biological action. 

 Experiments" to test this possibility are in operation. 



The aloe Malgache, or F. gigantea, possesses a 

 short woody trunk, which is crowned by 40 to 50 

 oblanceolate, rigidly coriaceous, subcarnose leaves. 

 These leaves on vigorous plants are 4 to 7 ft. long, 

 usually spineless, and of a bright bluish-green hue. 

 From the plant a scape of 20 to 30 ft. in length arises, and 

 forms in its upper half a loose panicle with greenish- 

 white flowers about 2 in. broad. The ovary is cylin- 

 drical, the stamens are short, and the filaments strumose 

 in the middle. 



The Creole aloe, or F. gigantea var. Willemetiana 

 is a Mauritian form of gigantea. It differs from the 

 type form by possessing more spines along the lower 

 portions of the leaf edges, by having a terminal spike to 

 the leaf, and by possessing a well-defined constricted leaf 

 base. The leaves are usually less pulpy than those of 

 F. gigantea, and on the average shorter in length. The 

 colour of the leaves of the Creole aloe is a yellowish- 

 green. 



It is estimated that there are approximately 20,000 

 arpents (i arpent = 1*043 acre) under "aloes" in the 



