377 



Mr. RADCLIFFE wishes it to be thoroughly understood that he is 

 not posing as an expert agriculturist, on the contrary he feels so 

 much harm has been done by the indiscriminate publication of 

 reports even under Government sanction that he wishes to repair 

 some of the mischief that has resulted. "The so-called reports 

 issued by Botanic Gard ns are mostly prepared from Laboratory 

 experiments ^after plants have been nursed often under conditions 

 that are quite unnatural and of course useless as far as practical 

 results sre concerned. We should rather urge our Colonies to start 

 experimental patches." This quotation gives the readers a very 

 fair idea of Mr. Radcliffe's knowledge as to what has been done 

 in Ramie cultivation by Botanic Gardens, experimental stations 

 and planters. 



It is suggested to start a Ramie Association like the Cotton- 

 growers Association to encourage the cultivation, trade and manu- 

 facture of Ramie. This idea is a good one, but it will be essential 

 first for the Association to send some capable man to the various 

 Colonies to see what has been tried and why it has failed so con- 

 stantly and why so much money has been lost on a fibre which 

 according to Mr. RADCLIFFE can be grown almost anywhere at a 

 cost of less than £y a ton, and can be sold at £40. 



Ramie may have a big future before it, but as it will not have 

 any till the buyer realizes that it is not possible to grow it at any- 

 thing like the figures given by Mr. RADCLIFFE and are prepared 

 to pay a reasonable price for one of the most valuable fibres in 

 the world. 



CASHEW NUTS. 



We have received a letter and samples of the seed of the Cashew 

 nut, (Anacardium Occidentale), Malay "Gaju-^"; from Mr GuiOT, of 

 Aix en Provence, France, who asks if it would not be possible to open 

 up a trade in this product here. The best time for the sale is in 

 September or the latest in October in Marseilles. He would be 

 glad to take at first 10,000 kilos, and considers that the demand 

 would rapidly increase. He offers good references to any who will 

 tranship them to him. 



The Cashew nut is not uncommon in Pahang, near Pekan, and 

 in other places along the Coast. I am not acquainted with any 

 place where it is really abundant enough to supply any very large 

 amount of kernels. Perhaps some of our readers know where and 

 how this nut can be procured in quantity, and would care to put 

 themselves in communication with .Mr. GuiOT. 



H. N. R. 



Mr. Herbert Wright's Lecture at Ratnapura, 



SIR, — Allow me the space in your columns to make the following 

 comments upon Mr. WRIGHT'S lecture on rubber recently delivered 

 at Ratnapura. 



