FIBRES 



577 



The kapok is packed in gunny bags or matting, after 

 which the bales intended for shipment to Australia 

 which are of a net weight of 72 to 80 Ib. and measure 

 16 cubic ft. and the bales for shipment to Europe and 

 America which are of a weight of 90 Ib. and measure 

 12 cubic ft. are bound by iron bands or sometimes by 

 rattan. Bales which are not properly pressed are often 

 tied two together, in order to reduce the quantity of 

 kapok protruding at the sides and ends of the bales. 



Trade. It is only during the last fifteen years that the 

 kapok trade of the Netherland East Indies has become of 

 such great importance, although, as mentioned above, 

 kapok was first exported to the Amsterdam market in 

 1860. 



The kapok trade in Java is mainly in the hands of 

 European exporters in the principal ports. Kapok is 

 also sold and shipped directly to foreign purchasers by 

 the European planters, but this represents a very small 

 percentage of the total exports, and is not more than 

 20 per cent, of the total output. 



The chief markets for Java kapok are the Netherlands 

 and Australia, although direct shipments are now made 

 to America, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, and have 

 increased considerably during the last few years, while 

 formerly these countries were supplied by the Amsterdam 

 market. The consumption of kapok in England, Russia, 

 Sweden, and Norway is still comparatively small, but is 

 regularly increasing. The principal countries to which 

 kapok from the Netherland East Indies has been exported 

 for the past three years were (in tons of 1,000 kilo- 

 grams) : - 



FROM JAVA AND MADURA. 



