10 
Boissier’s Flora Orientalis, vol. i. p. 840, it is stated that Hibiseus 
cannabinus, L., is calteweied i in the province a Ghilan in Spgs and 
that cords and ropes are prepared from its fibre. Specime Kanaff 
fibre have recently been iiair at Kew, jin me ‘authentic specimens of 
the plant producing it have so far been Ther ev roba- 
bility, however, that the vaes is one of the ies aici of "Bosse 
cannabinus, and the utilisation of its fibre on the shores of the Caspian 
is a fact of some interest. The information so far furnished is as 
follows : 
“The French Revue des Colonies reports the discovery of a new textile 
on the shores of the Caspian. This plant, called Kanaff by the natives, 
grows in the summer, and attains a height of 10 feet, with a diameter 
varying from two to three centimetres. By careful cultivation and 
manipulation, M. O. Blakenbourg, a chemist and engineer, who has 
made a special study of Kanaff, has obtained an admirable textile 
matter; it is soft, Doaa nd sil ives a thread, which is very tough, 
and can be chemically bleached without losing ox value. The stuffs 
e EEES out of Kanaff, and then bleached, can be successfully 
yed in every shade of colour, and would sacs with any of the 
furnishing materials now in use. But it is particularly for mag 
cks, tarpaulin, npe &c., that this new orig from its cheapness an 
its extrao rdinary res sting power, might defy all competition. Its 
of hemp. Thus a cord of 5:25 mm. diameter, woven with the hand out 
of three apels of Kanaff, requires a weight of 180 kilogrammes to 
break it. Ac half an inch thick, manufactured at Moscow, did not 
break till the haran of 625 kilogram mes was reached. When it is 
considered that Russia annually consumes more than 150,000,000 of 
sacks, a third of which is ee it may easily be seen that the 
appearance of this new oe on Sessa market is an event of no 
slight importance.” (Board of Trado Journal.) 
The following more amit infor EARNAN respecting a has been 
communicated to this establishment by the Foreign Office 
(Copy.) 
FOREIGN OFFICE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
SIR, Foreign Office, July 6, eee 
I AM directed by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affai 
transmit to you, to be laid before the Director of the Royal G Gardens, he 
accompanying despatch, reporting on the cultivation of cotton in the 
Sopan district, and transmitting some fibre of a newly discovered 
p 
The Assistant Director, Ge, of Trims FERGUSSON. 
Royal Gardens, Kew 
(Extraet.) 
Mr. Vice-Consul MURRAY to FOREIGN OFFICE. 
My LORD, Batoum, June 24, 1891. 
* 
A ae ree plant has been exciting great interest amongst 
Russian traders, as it is hoped that it will t 
Jute plant, 7 prove a strong rival to the 
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