9 
THE GUTTA-PERCHA. 
The inspissated and sun-dried sap (milk) drawn from the stems 
constitutes the madar gutta often mentioned by writers on India. 
It is, in fact, the most hopeful of the many gutta-yielding plants 
that do not belong to Sapotacee, ee MM ily which affords the true 
gutta-percha of commerce. There are large tracts of the sandy 
deserts of Rajputana and Central Ses as also of Sind, in pera 
this plant is not only the most prevalent but almost the only form 
of vegetation met with. In many instances also it has been 
observed to be the pioneer in the reclamation of sterile tracts. 
collectively of the products of this plant, much good might result 
to India. Its production could be fostered, and by selection and 
cultivation the quality and quantity of the produce Nasce 
until the plant assumed the condition of a regular crop for poo 
soils. But unless some method could be designed for extracting 
the milk from shoots cut on ent of their fibre, it is feare 
that it would not pay to tap this plant specially for its gutta. 
The stems and twigs are too small, and the yield from each too 
little, to justify the opinion that methodic tapping would prove 
remunerative as an industry by itself. Moreover, it has been 
found by chemical experiments that un gutta, being a 
fairly good en of electricity, is not suited for te) 
purposes, and is thus very possibly sen: from one of the 
most profitable Deka for this class of product. 
BARK FIBRE. 
- The bast fibre has attracted considerable attention and been 
spoken of as one = the best of Indian fibres. The great diffi- 
culty appears to consist in the inability to separate it a, and 
cheaply. Unfortunately the fibre cannot be prepared by retting 
the stems, since it is reported to rot when so treated, and yet the 
cleaned fibre when made into fishing lines ind nets (as is the case 
in Karachi) seems quite durable and Mu re u po A when 
used in sea-water. Mr. Liotard, after many experiments per- 
formed in Caleutta with Bine machinery generally, 
arrived at the unfortunate conclusion that the hopes formerly 
entertained by himself and others regarding this particular fibre 
were never likely to be realised :—1si, because of the small 
percentage of fibre (1°56) to weight of stems, and 2nd, the 
shortness of the ultimate fibre. But in recent experiments con- 
ducted at the Imperial Institute with a sample procured from 
Madras, Professor Wyndham R. Dunstan found that the staple 
measured full lly 12 inches (Agri. Ledger No. 2 of 1899, p. 8). 
en er Dodge (Useful Fibre Plants of the World, 108) 
re of ground ıplanted 4 by 4 des with this plant 
will yield 10 ne of green stems and 582 lbs. of fibre; this 
would mean a yield of roughly 2*6 per cent. He then adds that 
the fibre possesses many of the qualities of flax, though somewhat 
finer. Its ne tenacity; lustre, and softness in fact fit it for 
many industrial purposes. Cross and Bevan found that when 
nitrated it a hardly be distinguished from silk, and long 
years ago T showed that a rope of this fibre broke with a 
