248 
in  the  Peninsula,  I sliould  imat/ine  that  these  plants  could  he  grown 
quite  as  well  here  as  in  Jamaica,  for  example,  where  the  return  of 
fibre  from  S.  guineensis  is  estimated  at  i tons  per  acre  per  annum, 
valued  in  London  at  £^o  per  ton. 
Both  Sansevieria  guineensis  and  S.  zeylanica  are  represented 
in  the  collection  of  the  Experimental  Plantations,  but  so  far  have 
only  been  used  for  propagating  purposes. 
9.  There  appears  to  be  need  for  further  investigation  with 
Further  investi-  regard  to  the  Cultivation  of  these  plants  and  the 
gation  necessary,  preparation  of  the  fibre,  as  the  soil,  climate  and  age 
of  the  leaves  when  collected  have  much  to  do  with  the  length  and 
strength  of  the  staple  and  the  quantity  of  the  fibre  generally. 
10.  I enclose  a small  sample  of  Murva  fibre  recently  extracted 
from  a young  leaf.  Had  this  leaf  been  fully  developed 
the  fibre  would  have  been  three  or  four  feet  long. 
I have,  &c., 
STANLEY  ARDEN, 
Super  in  tendent  Experi  mental 
Plantations, 
The  Secretary  to  Resident-General, 
Erderatko  Malay  States. 
KEEPING  LAND  CLEAN  FROM  WEEDS. 
The  following  observations  by  an  agricultural  correspondent  of 
the  Melbourne  Weekly  Times  are  appended  : — 
The  advantage  of  keeping  the  land  clean  will  be  admitted  bv 
every  cultivator,  whether  farmer  or  gardener,  though,  strange  to 
sav,  a great  many  allow  it  to  get  foul  with  weeds  for  lack  of  proper 
attention  to  its  requirements.  'This  is  the  case  with  tillers  of  the 
soil  generally  but  more  especially  do  many  Australian  farmers  err 
in  this  respect.  The  too  common  practice  in  this  part  of  the  world 
is  to  get  as  many  acres  under  crop  as  possible,  and  little,  or  even, 
in  some  instances,  no  further  attention  is  given  till  the  harvest 
time  arrives.  Though  this  may  be  the  easiest  way  of  farming,  it  is 
not  the  most  economical  in  the  long  run.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  a 
most  wasteful  and  thriftless  practice. 
Common  sense  should  teach  everyone  that  the  cleaner  the  culti- 
vation the  better  the  crops  may  be  expected  to  be. 
Land  cropped  in  a foul  state  is  not  only  laid  under  contribution 
for  the  production  of  a crop  of  serviceable  plants,  but  has  also  to 
support  a number  of  others  that  are  useless  and  troublesome  to  the 
cultivator.  Now,  it  must  be  perfectly  plain  to  the  most  ordinary 
mind  that,  when  crops  have  to  contend  with  large  numbers  of 
weeds,  the  growth  must  be  interfered  with  more  or  less.  When 
land  is  foul  with  weeds  there  is  a much  heavier  tax  upon  its  pro- 
ductive powers  when  cultivated  for  a crop  than  if  it  were  clean.  In 
