116 
Manila Hemp.” It is described as “ Sh eo in great abundance in 
many places, keeping to the shade of wood 
r. Horne, Director of the Royal ren Gardens, Pamplemousses 
Dongas that 
“This plant vas well in Mauritius in damp marshy places i in the 
«lowlands. I have no doubt that it would thrive well in the wet 
It is widely distributed in the West Indies, and has been grown 
oe for the sake of its fibre at St. Thomas, Jamaica, and 
rinida 
As rega ards cultural treatment, the following information is taken 
from notes prepuna by Mr. Morris sE aa rector of the Botanical 
Department, Jamaica, on this and S. zeylan 
“In the first instance plants may be Bats oni at 3 feet by 3 feet, 
aean allowing for roads and paths, would give about 3,000 to the 
* acr Te the soil is kept well broken and moist these plants, by the 
ee pae of root suckers, will spread in all directions, so that ulti- 
“ mately the whole ground, with the exception of certain paths, which 
“ should be epe permanently open, will be covered with plants. As 
“ regards the time which must elapse between planting out and the 
« first yield of leaves suitable for fibre, there would appear to be a great 
“ difference of opinion. Plants which I saw at St. Thomas at three 
‘My own experience coincides with this, but necessarily much must 
“depend upon the nature of the plants when first put out, the character 
“ of the soil, the amount of moisture received, as well as on the system 
be of cultivation pursued. 
“ From 
“ fresh leaves. That is, the weight of clean dry fibre was at the rate 
“ of 2} per cent. of the fresh leaves. Dr. Roxburgh eikai that 
- * one acre would yield 1,613 pounds of clean fibre ae gathering, two 
1 
In an experimental trial carried on at Jamaica, 1, 185 pounds of green 
leaves of S. guineensis igw 29 pounds 10 ounces of dry fibre. This 
was cleaned by machin _ The reports of brokers were as follows :—(4.) 
“ per ton ;” (¢.) “ No good in the state sent ; it has a lot of bark in it, 
“and requires mS dressing ; both ends are clean, but the centre is 
“ dirty. ste dressed properly, would be as good as S. zeylanica, 
“* viz., 300. on.’ 
In etoi hó? last, His Excellency Sir William Robinson, Governor 
of Trinidad, forwarde d to Kew samples of fibre of this species, which he 
stated had been prepared “at the convict depôt at Chaguanas without 
