88 



Benin, Lagos, Kontagora, and widely distributed in West 

 Tropical Africa ; found also in India, Ceylon, East Indies, &c. 



The floss surrounding the seeds is an important commercial 

 product. It is known generally as " Kapok," and used for stuffing 

 cushions, pillows, mattresses, chairs, &c. It is now being used in 

 the manufacture of lifebelts, lifebuoys, &c. It has also been 

 suggested for use in medicine, in place of ordinary cotton (Pharm. 

 Journ. [4] xix. p. 609). The fibre does not appear to be of use 

 for textile purposes owing to shortness of staple and other 

 mechanical defects which make it unsuitable for spinning, and 

 to the low percentage of cellulose (Bull. Imp. Inst. 1905, p. 224). 

 In a sample of Kapok from the Gold Coast the staple was from 

 0*8 inch to 1*1 inch long, and the diameter of the fibres 0*0006 to 

 0-0011 inch (1. c. 1908, p. 242). 



The seed yields an edible oil, suitable for soapmaking, and cake 

 made from the residue after crushing compares very favourably 

 with ordinary cottonseed cake for feeding cattle. The ash of 

 Kapok seed is considered a good manure, since it contains 28*5 per 

 cent, of phosphoric acid and 24*6 per cent, of potash (Diet. Econ. 

 Prod. Ind.). 



The wood is light, about 30 lbs. per cubic foot. It is used in 

 parts of Nigeria for making canoes and various domestic utensils, 

 and for similar purposes in Angola (Welwitsch), French Guinea 

 (Pobeguin), and the Congo (De Wildeman). A few years ago 

 (1900) the Government of Lagos sent to the Royal Gardens, Kew, 

 some samples of wood for report as to its value in the manufacture 

 of paper, and as bottle wrappers. As a paper-making material the 

 wood was reported on by Mr. Quirin Wirtz, Consulting Chemist 

 to Messrs. John Dickinson & Co., Ltd., Croxley Mills, Watford, 

 who summarises his report as follows : — 



" The pulp cannot be considered a very desirable product. 

 Generally I come to the conclusion that the production of pulp 

 from the ' Silk Cotton Tree ' cannot be a commercial success ; 

 1st, on account of the quality of the fibre ; 2nd, owing to the large 

 expenditure in soda and bleach, and the hard boiling necessary ; 

 3rd, owing to the bad yield of fibres " (Director, Royal Gardens, 

 Kew, to Colonial Office, Sept. 6th, 1900). For use as bottle- 

 wrappers, it was considered that there was little chance of 

 successful competition with straw (1. a). 



In India the wood is stated to be used for tanning leather, and 

 from the bark a medicinal gum is obtained (Watt, Comm. Prod. 

 Ind. p. 522). The leaves are sometimes used as a substitute for 

 Ochro {Hibiscus esculentus) (Moloney, For. W. Afr. p. 286). 



The cultivation of Kapok in the Dutch East Indies is carried on 

 in regular plantations, or by planting along the road-sides. Pro- 

 pagation is effected by seed and by cuttings. The plants are 

 usually put out at distances of 18 feet, and increase by cuttings 

 is preferred as the plants yield a quicker return (Kapok, by 

 J. C. Klutgen, Rotterdam, 1883). Propagation by seed has been 

 found to be cheap and effective in the Philippine Islands for 

 planting on a large scale. Trees raised from seed, when 20 months 



