390 



different result to that obtained from the measurements of trees in big 

 forest as already given ; where 97 years was the period required. 



The method I have adopted in the forests is to cut lines 33' apart 

 through the undergrowth, and to plant trees 33' apart in these lines. 

 So far considerable success has been attained, especially with Merbau. 

 It is probable that trees so planted will grow much more quickly than 

 in their natural state. As they grow older light will be let in by judi- 

 cious cutting of trees which are overshading them. In a few year's 

 time it is hoped to have some definite results as to comparisons in the 

 rate of growth of trees and self sown trees growing in the forests. The 

 accurate measurement of forest trees is a matter requiring the close 

 attention of all forest officers and measurements to be reliable must not 

 be left to Maly Bangers, and as the trees or often in remote forests the 

 work is slow and expensive. Without definite information on this 

 head however no systematic working of the forests can ever be under- 

 taken, 



BANANA FIBRE WEAVING. 



In the Bulletin de la Chambre d'Agriculture de la Cochin-China 

 June 1908, Mr. Duchemin writes as to his method of preparing the 

 cloth of Banana fibre and cotton mentioned in a previous number of 

 our Bulletin. At eight o'clock one morning he cut a banana stem and 

 some Sanseviera leaves, at ten o'clock the fibre prepared was dry, at 

 eleven the threads were prepared for weaving and at a quarter to 

 twelve he had a piece of cloth 54 centimeters long and 40 centimenters 

 wide. 



To do this it was enough to substitute a loom arranged with 

 Banana thread for one with cotton at which a girl of 14 or 15 years 

 old was working ; afterwards a frame of Sanseviera thread was substi- 

 tuted. The girl went on with the work as readily as with the cotton. 



He points out that even if cotton is used as warp the use of 

 Banana fibre saves 50 per cent, and that China would take as much 

 thread and cloth as could be made, besides what the Indo-Chinese 

 natives used. 



The French colonies produce hardly any cotton so that France 

 has to buy 200 millions worth of raw cotton each year. 



One banana stem gives about a square yard (one metre square) 

 of complete cloth, and nine grammes of Sanseviera, furnish a cloth of 

 33 centimeters long and 40 centimeters wide. 



The fibre is prepared in the following way. 



However carefully one defibrates an aloe, Sanseviera or many 

 kinds of Banana, it always happens that the fibres although clean 

 and white are not equal in thickness which is very inconvenient for 

 weaving. To equalise them the following method is necessary. Take 

 a large bundle of fibres and roll it into a ball. Put this into a wooden 

 mortar and pound it gently with a wooden rice-pestle turning it 

 over and over, and opening the ball so as to pound it all through. 

 Very soon the fibres are well divided up and quite equal in thickness 

 throughout. In the case of aloes and Sansevieras, the fibre can 



