MISCELL.VyEOTJS. 91 



" My motive for laying before you my views on this subject, and preparing the 



samples of fibre for your inspection, is, that I am anxious to submit to you, and 



through you to the agriculturists and people in general of this island, the desira- 



. nd advantages iu an individual and national point of view to be derived 



from the i and extensiv ion of fibrous plants. As I have already 



tied, the great scarcity, exhorbitant price, and widely -spreading demand for 



fibre throughout the world, render the materials of which it is manufactured of 



much importance, particularly in this country, where labour i id dear, 



and agriculture at its lowest eb"b. Many of these fibres will be found of superior 



quality, and produced in greater abundance than any grown in temperate regions- 



"I have made a very moderate calculation of the produce of an established 



field with Plantains, which I find to be as follows: — 



Ai\ acre planted with Buckers, at ten feet apart, will contain 

 435 plants, and : tr will produce as many bunches 



of fruit worth 6d £10 17 6 



Each Btem will yield 1 lb. of finely-dressed I th 6d. In 17 6 



Amounting in sterling money in all to. . . .£'21 15 



MErronoi.or.icAL observations. 

 The present number contains the Monthly Meteorological Reports for November 

 : " in continuation of the series hitherto published in the Canadian Journal; 

 and those for December, along with the abstracts oi the various observations for 

 the past year would also have been included, but for unavoidable impediments in- 

 cident to the starting of the new series, with a different size of page, which ren- 

 der the materials formerly used for setting up the Monthly Meteorological Regis- 

 ters of the various Canadian observers no longer available. 



The December number of the Journal contains three papers on the subject of 

 Meteorological Observations in Canada, from which it will be seen that a very little 

 time must elapse before a greatly extended staff of observers will be in full opera- 

 tion throughout all the settled districts of Upper Canada; and the i 

 given to such labors in this important department of science, cannot fail to 1 

 ductive ■ results. The example set by the Upper Province, 



may be confidently anticipated, stimulate those at the head of I ific aud 



educational institutions throughout British Noith America to folio 

 thus con ,i(j of the lit 



graphy and Magnetism, now embracing so widely extended an area 

 of the 



Already symptoms of an intelligent and increasing interest in this subject are 

 apparent. Professor Williamson, of the University of Qu 



nated to the editor his intention oi enlisting as one of the contri utors to 

 anch of scientific oh: ud fun ishing to the Journal 



ling with t! i • Mete- 



■ observations made ;.t the 1 ol To- 



ronto University, and to the indefatigable labors of Dr. Small wo< iriin's, 



■\>t. Noble, air: Mr. W. I). C. Cam] i nd Dr. On 



Hamilton. It has Institute, after mat tire 



ti i to this department of : '';>' Hm- 



pplied by the various : ; i I iborers 



throughout 



ie Pro- 

 . 



i the Institute may find H ad* isable i" publish in n i 



tic Journal ol British Moitu 



