248 
[Enclosure No. 4. ] 
MESSRS. TOYE AND BROMLEY to ROYAL GARDENS, KEW. 
116, Fenchurch Street, London, E.C., 
SIR, February 19, 1889. 
WE confirm our letter of the 11th instant, and now beg to hand 
you our report on the fibre samples you sent. We trust this “will give 
you the information desired. Should you require any other point 
answered we shall be happy to do so. 
We are, &c. 
(Signed) TOYE AND BROMLEY. 
REPORT. 
This fibre would find a ready sale here both for brush and mat 
making purposes, but the two sorts should be kept separate. For brush- 
making the long fibre can only be used, and should be kept straight, and 
tied in small bundles and then made up in bales weighing about 1 cwt. 
or 2 cwt.each. The other sort for mat-making should be towselled and 
packed up into bales. Practically speaking the mat fibre is the combings 
or short from the brush fibre. There is also in the sample sent us a 
stuffing of rough fibre in each of the small bundles; this should be 
, as 
was separately packed it would also sell here. We consider the value 
e sorts, if made up in the sa we have described, would be 
based on pe present value of fibre as follows :— 
Sample. 
No. 1. Brush fibre at 297. to 31 ars ton. 
No. 2. Mat fibre at 18/. to 197. per to 
No. 3. Rough stuffing sort at 10/. to Lil, per ton. 
We return a sample of each quality to show more clearly our meaning. 
The brush A we suggest, should be tied up about the size of our 
sample No. 1. You will notice that we have taken your sample as 
received, and dressed it into the above three sorts, which your friends 
will find far more advantageous than sending it in the rough condition. 
(Signed) TOYE AND BROMLEY. 
LXXVI.—BAHIA PIASSAVA. 
(Attalea funifera, Mart.) 
[K. B., 1889, pp. 237-242. ] 
valuable fibre, largely used in this country under the name of 
Se ia Piassava, is obtained from the leaf-stalks of a Brazilian palm 
known as Attalea funifera, Mart. This palm has a wide distribution 
in the lowlands of Brazil, and is found tvarka the province - 
Bahia parallel to the coast, from San Salvador or Bahia in lat. 13° t 
Caravellas in about lat. 18°. 
Para Piassava, which is exported from the port of that name, is 
slightly different in texture and colour from Bahia Piassava, and is 
derived from another pem, Leopoldinia Piassaba, Wallace. Specimens 
of both Bahia and Para Piassava, together with appliances used in the 
industry, as well as finished articles, are shown in the Kew Mase 
