n A STE Oe ene NEES Pee ee pe eee Wt. ft Pte ae ee eee LE er 
29 
been overcome by a silk-cotton press constructed by Stork and Co. at 
lo. 
“Tt now only remains for some enterprising firm to initiate the collec- 
tion of silk-cotton in Jamaica and ship it in well-packed bales for the 
European market. If each cotton tree yielded at the rate of about 
In Ceylon, according to the Tropical = so ld (1884, “p. 153), 
kapok was ooa eke re the villages in the interior, npr arpay 
in the Matura and Tangalla districts oa in ae Central Province. The 
season commences in May, and only o rop can be pbiaiiadt in the 
year. The trees do not attain maturity Manai the fifth year. Itis not 
uncommon to gather 1000 to 1500 pods from one tree. In preparing 
the article for export ae chief difficulty was ae in freeing it 
from the seeds. The improved Patent Saw Cotton Gin imported in 
884 was ien katsoa The industry in rae was started in 
consequence of letters written from the Melbourne Exhibition by the 
late Mr. A. M. Ferguson, C.M.G. 
Kapok had cane? attracted considerable attention in Australia. 
Messrs. Buch of Melbourne, in their Mon nthly Register dated 
21st June 1886, aa the following account of it :—“ It is now 15 years 
since the first shipment of Java kapok came to this market A 
but so firmly did it establish itself that when ‘supplies 
were not regularly forthcoming a substitute was sought for. In proof 
of the lasting amig of kapok, a Faget spony ned officer engaged 
in the Mahratta war of 
as a pillow-case in constant use ever 
since which a il retains its elasticity and mea. da who assures us 
he has found nothing so cool or healthful to sleep on in warm climates. 
It is difficult to obtain reliable statistics concerning the trade . EER 
We find it entered at the local Customs under all | names, 
such as ¢ ones etable fibre,’ ‘ vegetable wool, ‘silk cotton, ‘tree cotton, 
‘ raw cotton, and ‘ Simoul cotton.’ There wer se sa into Melbourne 
during the year 1886 a total of 8845 bales of the value of 26,8501. 
A bale of Java kapok weighs about 80 Ibs., a bale of Ceylon about 
200 lbs., and a bale of India pag 400 Ibs 
Serious complaint is made R and elsewhere of the quality 
of the kapok shipped from fadis “ Even the low price of India 
“ condition as to be almost unsaleable.” It is stated that hydraulic or 
Bet tae packing of kapok tends to destroy that peculiar sence 
et. owes its value, “for without a ringy nature it is 
“ unsuitable as a stuffing material.” Moreover, by hard packing, when 
the ots are left aitadlion k to the fibre, a davi-ocloured oil is expressed 
which is suffused over the kapok, “ hence a noticeable difference in 
colour between the Indian and the beautifully white Java products.” 
“ At Java the trade has assumed a uniform practice. No unclean 
stuff is shipped, but cant n gro es of ane denote standards o 
leaned 
picked, being all hand-picked an and free from seeds, except an odd one 
here and there; the third is simply designated ‘cleaned.’ It contains 
a few seeds, together with the ‘slubs,’ or little knotty, curly lumps, 
which are cast aside from the higher "grades. The quality of any one 
class is found most uniform rieki the bales. Packing is all done 
in straw mats, and never tightly pressed ; the first nee: Teet ‘extra 
