146 NIGERIA NORTHERN PROVINCES 



factorily reported on. As a result the fibre has been 

 actually exported to Europe. 



In the Selected Reports from the Imperial Institute. ,P 'art I., 

 "Fibres" (Colonial Reports Miscellaneous [Cd. 4588], 

 p. 38), a full account is given of the composition of a 

 specimen of the fibre received from Northern Nigeria. 

 The character is said to be similar to jute, but it is ap- 

 apparently rather harsh, and therefore more suitable for 

 use in rope-making than for spinning. The valuation 

 placed upon it was 12 per ton, with common jute at 

 11-12. A specimen of the brown ribbons was also 

 examined and was reported on, the valuation being 

 placed at about 4 per ton, with a remark that it would 

 only be of use for paper manufacture. 



During the last three years, since attention was first 

 drawn to the probable value of the fibre as a jute sub- 

 stitute, the natives of Nupe and Muri have been urged 

 to cultivate the plant and prepare the fibre for export. 

 This has been done to a small extent, and the natives 

 of the latter province are said to be willing to produce 

 it at the local price of one penny per pound. At the 

 valuation mentioned above it might scarcely prove re- 

 munerative to pay this local price, but it should be taken 

 into consideration that the market price of jute was 

 depressed at the time that the valuation was obtained. 

 It seems that the product may be usefully cultivated, 

 especially in the Niger Valley, where river transport is 

 available, and it is probable that a better price would 

 be quoted if a larger and regular supply could be relied 

 on. The value of the fibre shipped from the country 

 in 1908 is estimated in the Government returns at 1,382, 

 and that for 1909 at 4,049. 



Attention should be specially directed to the time of 

 cutting the stalks for retting, and these should be treated 

 before becoming too woody, when a much better product 

 would result. 



Experiments with Indfan jute, as well as with certain 

 Hibiscus fibres in West Africa, have shown that if the 

 stems are permitted to become woody, the resulting fibre 

 is harsh and coarse. 



With regard to the probable production of fibre per 

 acre, there are at present no data, but it may be stated 

 for comparison that a good average yield of jute in India 



