AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 



OF THE 



STRAITS 



AND 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 



No. 8.] AUGUST, 1906. [Vol. VIII 



BANANA FIBRE. 



Report on the Fibres of Musa malaccensis and Musa 

 sapientum from the Straits Settlements, by Professor 

 Wyndham R. Dunstan, m.a., f.r.s., Director, Imperial 

 Institute, South Kensington, London. 



The samples of these fibres which are the subject of the 

 present report were forwarded to the Imperial Institute by the 

 Director of the Botanic Gardens at Singapore, with a letter dated 

 April 23, 1906. 



It was stated that the wild plantain, Musa malaccensis, is very 

 abundant in the Straits Settlements and could be grown as a 

 catch-crop with rubber if the fibre proved to be of value. 



The other fibre was obtained from a cultivated banana, 

 Musa sapientum, of the common edible variety known as 

 " Rastali." 



The samples of fibre were prepared by Mr. A. D. Machado, 

 of Kamuning Estate, Perak, who has invented a scutching 

 machine for the extraction of the fibre. 



Description of Samples. 



The samples obtained from Musa sapientum, var Rastali 

 consisted of ounces of rather coarse and imperfectly cleaned 

 fibre, light buff in colour and of very poor strength. The 

 average length was 5 feet 6 inches but some of the fibre was as 

 much as 7 feet in length. 



The sample from M usa malaccensis, the " Wild Pisang," 

 consisted of one ounce of very weak fibre averaging 6 feet 7 

 inches in length, some of the fibre being 9 feet long. It was 

 inferior to the other fibre in appearance, and was also coarser 

 owing to the fact that the fibres has not been separated. 



