COTTON 33 



India, that a successful result was not brought about. 

 Two species of Corchorus are found in the country, and 

 are used only as vegetables. 



Ramie Fibre. Plantations of Ramie fibre or China 

 grass were recently made in various parts of the Pro- 

 tectorate, but although the plant grows -well during the 

 rainy season, the long period of dry weather is detri- 

 mental to it. 



Piassava. This fibre is produced from the sheath of the 

 leaf stem of Raphia vinifera, the wine palm, and is pre- 

 pared at several places, especially in the swampy districts 

 near the coast. The method of extraction is merely that 

 of steeping and beating out, and the resulting fibre is, 

 in appearance, somewhat similar to fine whalebone. The 

 largest amount was exported in 1915, when the figure 

 reached 1,283 tons. The price in this year attained 61 

 per ton. The fibre is chiefly employed for the manu- 

 facture of stiff brooms. 



COTTON. The native cotton of Sierra Leone showed 

 promise, at one time, of great development, but in- 

 surmountable difficulties met the efforts of the British 

 Cotton Growing Association in their attempt to establish 

 cotton growing for export upon a large scale. 



The native mode of growing cotton is in combination 

 with a number of other agricultural crops, the seeds of 

 all being mixed before being broadcasted in a field, which 

 has been lightly tilled. Cotton sown in this manner is 

 permitted to yield crops for two seasons, but the second 

 crop is generally much inferior. Owing to this irregular 

 manner of planting, the amount of cotton available for 

 use is small, and is nearly all absorbed for the supply of 

 the native looms ; being readily saleable in the weaving 

 districts at about 2d. per Ib. of seed cotton, or about 

 twice as much as the British Cotton Growing Association 

 were prepared to pay. 



The inefficiency of the quality of the local cultivation, 

 and the disinclination on the part of the native to adopt 

 better methods, effectually prevented more cotton being 

 grown, and the British Cotton Growing Association were 

 unable to obtain sufficient material to keep their ginnery 

 employed. 



In connection with the cotton ginnery, erected at 

 Moyamba, a large plantation was made ; the indigenous 

 3 



