General Notes 609 



wrinkled. We noticed in November (1913) 

 that a Colombo (Ceylon) firm dealing in silk 

 cotton (kapok) was publishing the following 

 notice in the papers : " We are prepared 

 to buy kapok seed in any quantity at R2.5O 

 (35. 40!.) per cwt. net, delivered free Colombo 

 railway station. There is practically no differ- 

 ence between kapok and cotton seed and we 

 are paying the same price for both. As 

 regards kapok lint, for uncleaned stuff, i.e., 

 the pods with only the outer husk removed, if 

 of good quality and dry we can give R9 (R = 

 is. 4d.) per cwt. net delivered f.o.r. Colombo. 

 We are buying good white well-cleaned (free 

 from seed) kapok lint at R33 (445.) per cwt., 

 or about 5d. Ib. net delivered free Colombo 

 railway station." 



Mr. Saleeby in his book tells you all the 

 planter wishes to know ; we, unfortunately, 

 cannot do so. We can only say that, accord- 

 ing to this authority, and speaking of the 

 Philippines, kapok is propagated from cuttings 

 or from seeds. The use of cuttings is by far 

 the easier method and is, therefore, more 

 commonly practised. If cuttings are used 

 these are usually obtained from the branches 

 of trees in the neighbourhood. Trees repro- 

 duced from cuttings generally yield a crop six 

 to twelve months earlier than those reproduced 

 from seed, and the great majority of the kapok 

 trees in the Philippines are reproduced from 

 cuttings. 



39 



