238 
MESSRS, IDE AND CHRISTIE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
72, Mark feces London, E.C., 
DEAR SIR Nov r 14, 1895. 
REGARDING the sample and letter dated Tae from the Ro oyal 
Gardens duly to hand, we beg to say that for colour and texture, arc is 
the best Rafia we have seen from the West Coast of Africa, and in thes 
respects equal to the Madagascar product. The uncut ends, shortness 
and fine points are all against the sale and would interfere both with 
sale and value. 
As it is, we put it about 20/. to 25/. per ton. A small shipment of the 
usual West Coast we sold a few days ago for 25/. 
Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) IDE AND CHRISTIE. 
D. Morris, Esq., C.M.G., D.Sc., 
Royal Gardens, Kew. 
LXXIII.—PALMYRA BASS FIBRE. 
(Borassus flabelliformis, L.) 
[K. B., 1892, pp. 148-150.] 
to the scarcity of the Bass fibres hitherto obtained from two 
Brazilian ee Attalea funifer a and Leopoldinia Piassaba, inquiry 
has been m most tropical countries for palms likely to yield fibres 
of a similar Shader. A bass fibre has been obtained in Madagascar 
from a species of Dictyosperma — bly D. i oo Wendl.), and 
more recently Lagos or West can boas has en obtained from 
EEREN are just described, Å fibre almost identical has still more 
y been prepared in Ceylon from the Palmyra palm (Borassus 
Pair mi The following ir a has been obtained on the 
DIRECTOR OF NAVY CONTRACTS to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
Admiralty, Whitehall, S.W., 
SIR, June 1, : 
HALL be much obliged if you will en good enough to inform 
the ee whether anythin g is known of a material called 
* Bassine,” said to be grown in India and dosd for the English 
market at Colombo, as to its value as a ‘pabetite te for Brazilian Bass, 
and whether it is likely to Dusi bass on account of its quality or 
price. 
I am, &c., 
e Director, (Signed) C. M. HEATH, 
Royal Gardens, Kew. For Director of Navy Contracts. 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEW, to DIRECTOR OF NAVY CONTRACTS. 
Royal Gardens, Kew, 
SIR, June 8, 1892. 
AM desired by Mr. Thiselton-Dyer to P Er the receipt 
of your “one of the lst instant on the subject of fibre pre from 
the Palmyra palm as a substitute for Brazilian Bass 
