42 
It is evident that this interesting rural industry is fast dying out in 
France. It may be said to exist now only in very remote hamlets in 
the Cevennes. The inquiries made by Kew were therefore only just in 
time to secure the last specimens of cloth made in a laborious fashion 
before the days of rapid communication and the introd notion of cheap 
neg ai other goods. 
A appendix to the article in the Revue above mentioned there is 
rarkthted a memo r by I. Broussonet, entitled, “ Observations sur la 
culture et les usa ms économiques du Genet d’Espagne, i 
in France more than a hundred years ago. In those days, in certain 
country districts, no other linen material was used except that obtained 
from the Genét d'Espagne. The soil was too poor to grow cotton, flax, 
or agers and each household made its own cloth as it was wanted. It 
was never for sale in any quantity. A further memoir is i agi 
ig to the use of Cytisus scoparius, Link, as a fibre plan This 
was known as Genét à balais or grand Genét. "The latter memoir was 
written by M. Yvard in 1787 
XVI.—BARK CLOTH OF UGANDA. 
[K. B., 1892, pp. 58-60.] 
One of the most interesting of recent additions to the Museums of 
Economic Botany at Kew has recently been received from Sir John Kirk, 
¥.C.M.G. It consists of a a large sheet of bark cloth prepared by the 
natives of Uganda from the inner bark of a species of Brachystegia, a 
small genus of trees baloiak to the Cæsalpinieæ sub-order of the 
natural order Leguminosæ. The specimen is about 14 feet 6 inches 
long, 7 feet broad, and +); of an inch in thickness, and is of a reddish- 
brown colour, somewhat lighter on the under side, and is slightly 
crimped, probably the result of having been beaten out with grooved 
clubs. 
The genns wia achystegia is confined to tropical Africa, and seems 
to be generally used by the natives as a source of bark cloth. Messrs. 
Speke and Seca in their Aa to the sources of the Nile, 1860- 
1563, made some meshing notes on the preparation and uses of cloth 
from this source, which it may be well toadd. They say of ee tse 
ere PTA Beib. that it is a light graceful tree of 20 t 
40 igh, common in rich forest, and is known ia the Robeho 
amine Zanzibar, under the name of “ ‘M’chenga” or “ M’ nenga,” 
the bark of which is made into kilts, cloth, band- Be huge grain 
stores, matches, roofing for camp huts, ‘&e. ; they also add that a blood- 
e 
; sa 
slight herbarium material at Keegwah in lat. 5° 5’ S. of what is so far 
determined as B? achystegia tamarindoides, Welw., var.? Attached is 
the following note—“ Native name ‘ Mecombo a first-class tree, asit has 
“so many uses. ree 50 feet high, long BAET runk 9 feet in cir- 
“ cumference. Foliage deep g The woo od is considered good 
“for building. Its Park after Roe boiled and prepared is made into 
“ white sheets or cloths worn by the natives at 10° S. They also 
“ make canoes, boxes, matches, and rope from it. Its honey is con- 
“sidered very superior in flavour and whiteness. First met with 
“ 30 miles from the sea; diwani in the interior it was frequent. 
