239 
As shown in the enclosed extract from the Report of the Directo 
of the Botanical Gardens, Oeylon, the fibre from the Palmyra palm is 
being prepared in small quantities in the north of the island. The 
quantity available is evidently limited, and as the palm is an important 
Ide and Christie, a firm of fibre brokers in the City, giving particulars 
of the prices recently obtained for the fibre. A small quantity of the 
fibre = received to day is forwarded to your address in a separate 
parcel. 
This fibre is apparently not so good as the West African Bass (Kew 
Bulletin, 1891, p. 1), and it is decidedly inferior in length and flexibility 
the Bahia Piassava (Kew Bulletin, 1889, p. 237). Its chief use 
would probably be to adulterate these fibres, and not to be used alone. 
am, &e. 
The Director of Navy Contracts, (Signed) D. MORRIS. 
Admiralty, Whitehall, S.W. 
EXTRACT from the REPORT of the DIRECTOR of the ROYAL 
BOTANIC GARDENS, CEYLON, 1891, p. 15. 
Palmyra Fibre-—The sheathing leaf-stalks of the palmyra, as of 
many other palms, contain a stiff thick fibre, and a new industry in 
the collection of this has sprung up, under the auspices of a Colombo 
firm, in the north of the island. These fibres or bristles are much like 
the “ Piassaba” so largely exported from Brazil (the produce of the 
palms Attalea funifera and Leopoldinia Piassaba) for brush-making, and 
are doubtless exported hence for the same purpose. Immense numbers 
of the palmyra exist in the Jaffna peninsula and the islands near, and 
it is in the latter especially that the business of collecting the leaf-stalks 
for sale has been carried on by the inhabitants. In Elavaitivu the 
value thus collected in six months was about Rs. 3,000, a gr 
to the means of the people. Unfortunately, in their eagerness for yn 
y 
MESSRS. IDE AND CHRISTIE to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
72, Mark Lane, London, E.C., 
Sir, June 7, 1892. 
E duly received your favour of the 2nd instant, and have 
pleasure in sending you a sample of Palmyra fibre as offered on this 
ps This is of average quality and valued to-day at 28/. per ton in 
t. 
on, 
