NOTES ON ECONOMIC PLANTS. 297 



MUDAR Fibre (Calotropis gigantea). — Plants of Mudar 

 have been in demand during the past year. The plant on 

 hand is apparently the white variety, and grows very freely 

 in almost any soil. The downy substance contained in the 

 follicles or seed pods is the part most valued, but the stem 

 also yields a fibre, which is said to be superior to the common 

 Calotropis which by branching more is less valuable. The 

 plant also yields a Gutta. The juice of ten average plants 

 is said to yield about a pound of Gutta. 



Cotton (Gossypium arboreum). — Cotton is found to do 

 well on alluvial deposits on the plains and also on hills up to an 

 elevation of about 2,000 feet as a lirst crop after the removal 

 of virgin forest, but the soil of the Straits generally is unsuited 

 for the cultivation of Cotton, being too clayey and retentive. 



Kapok (Eriodendron anfranctuosum) . — The cultivation of 

 Kapok is attracting much attention. The plant is of rapid 

 growth and succeeds well on ordinary soils. Its cultivation in 

 the Straits can hardly fail to be profitable under good ma- 

 nagement. 



INDIAN Hemp (Cannabis sativa) grows, but shews no hope 

 of profitable production, the fibre being five times shorter 

 than it naturally is when grown in a congenial climate. 



OTHER Fibres. — The following fibre-producing plants are 

 also found to grow well in the Straits: — American aloe, Hibis- 

 cus of sorts, Bowstring hemp of sorts, Cus-cus, Palm and 

 Pandan fibres, and numerous plants belonging to the Urtica- 

 ceae, Verbenaceae and Malvaceae families. Jute has not been 

 tried, the seed requisitioned not having arrived in time, but 

 I have hope of the plant succeeding. 



OILS. 



ClTRONELLA Grass (Andropogon nardus) and LEMON 

 Grass (Andropogon citratus). — The cultivation of these 

 grasses would appear not to receive sufficient attention. Their 

 growth in the Straits is all that can be desired, and the 

 cultivation pays well when properly attended to. 



