98 
ene of the Botanical Department, Jamaica, discusses the subject as 
“Tt wou ald appear that the fibre of the ordinary ergo and of the 
“ banana is valued at about 127. or 157. per ton. This it will be noticed 
‘is only one-third the value of the best qualities of Manila ten, here 
“are in both the East Indies and West Indies numerous wild species = 
“ Musa which might yield good fibre, but so far none appears to hav 
“ been found equal to the plant 3 yielding Manilahemp. The following 
“ facts have been elicited by recent experiments, A banana stem jus 
“after fruiting, cut as is usual with the c regent SEA about 2 feet 
“above ground, and denuded of its foliage, weighed 108 pounds ; this 
“being divided into three lengths of 24 feet each te split longitudi- 
“nally into on pieces was prepared by beating and washing by 
“hand, and yielded 25 ounces of clean marketable fibre, which is at the 
“rate of 144 per cent. of the gross weight. The fibre of the lower 
“ portion of the stem, as also the fibre in the Saidia of the leaves was 
z not extracted. 
“ A smaller banana, cut under sper circumstances, that is, 2 feet 
“from the ground, and denuded of its foli lage, weighed 41 pounds. 
“This was divided into two lengths of “Oh feet each, and after being 
“split TAn into several pieces was prepared by hand, and 
“ yielded 6ł ounces of good clean fibre a at the rate of 1°02 per cent. 
“on the gross aight 
“At the Hepes Plantation ‘similar experiments were conducted with 
“banana stems which yielded very much the same results, Two banana 
“stems cut after fruiting, at two feet from the ground, and denuded of 
“their a weighe 2 oe poun aes These eded. 33 ounces of clean 
ults 
“the banana, both as regards the yield ad the Saat of t 
“ At the Chstleton Gardens, a plaintain stem weighing, a cut and 
“dressed, 25 pounds, was prepared in exactly the same manner as the 
“banana stems above Reorribed and yielded 7} ounces of gee! fibre or 
“at the rate of 1:81 per cent. on the gross weight. At the Hope 
* Plantation a aaa bre weighing exactly the same, viz., 25 pounds, 
“yielded 9 ounces of clean fibre or at the rate of 2:25 per cent. on the 
“ gross weight. The SPASE fibre is whiter and finer than the banana 
“ fibre, and it approaches moro nearly to the fine glossy character of the 
s fibre of the Manila plant 
“ For purposes of a I had the fibre of a small stem of the 
“ Manila plantain, which, cut at 6 inches above ground and trimmed, 
“ weighed 10 pounds, prepared in the same manner as the banana and 
“ plantain fibre, and the result was 3 ounces of a beautifully fine and 
s ang fibre. This is at the rate of 1°87 per cent. on the gross 
ae bee eight 
“In Jamaica another plantain is known as the Abyssinian paka 
“Musa Ensete, which is the largest species of this genus. It was 
to be understood that in these notes the pan ain is what is used as a vege- 
ue while the banana is the soft sweet fruit seen on tables for dessert th India 
e name plantain appears to be applied D indifferently i in both of these. 
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