September, 1912.] 



219 



TROPICAL PLANT FIBRES. 



In July, 1911, au International Congress and Exhibition dealing solely 

 with fibres and fibre plants was held at Soerabaya (Java), attended chiefly 

 by representatives from the Dutch Colonies and the Philippines, The 

 Exhibition included living specimens of fibre plants, samples of prepared 

 fibre and manufactured articles, and a large machinery section, while 

 the Congress endeavoured to arrive at some conclusions as to the value 

 of the various fibre plants from the cultivator's point of view, chiefly 

 however with regard to the Dutch Colonies. The following notes are 

 taken from a report by Di\ W. E. Bruck in the Tropenpflanezr for 

 February, 1912. 



The production of fibres in the Dutch East Indies is as yet compar- 

 atively small. The tctal area under fibre plants at the beginning of 1911 

 is given as follows :— 



Kapok ... ... ... ... 72,500 acres 



Sisal and other Agaves ... ... ... 16,000 ,, 



Manila hemp, etc ... ... ... 4,600 ,, 



Cotton ... ... ... ... 22,000 „ 



Sisal Hemp, 



This is the most important fibre plant in Java. But the species of 

 Agave cultivated there is chiefly Agave cantala Roxb., which is quite 

 different from the white Sisal or Henequen of Mexico. Agave cantala 

 has hitherto only been cultivated in the Philippines (Manila Maguey). 

 Agave sisalana has also been cultivated in Java but the culture is 

 diminishing. The Congress came to the following conclusions :— 



The culture of Sisal hemp is not remunerative on lands which do 

 not permit cheap transport of the raw material, nor on poor land nor 

 in a cool region where the yield falle below 650 lbs. of fibre per acre. It 

 can be grown with advantage on soil deficient in humus, where cacao 

 and coffee no longer flourish. The soil must be free and situated not 

 more than 1,200 feet above sea level. It is most profitably grown as a 

 secondary product since it can then be lett untouched when the market 

 price is low or during seasons when the production of leaf is small. It 

 cannot be recommended as a catchcrop or intercr op. If sisal is the chief 

 product, estates of less than 700 acres are not profitable. For an estate of 

 900 acres the cost of upkeep and replanting, upkeep of buildings, manage- 

 ment, etc., together with 5 per cent, interest on the capital, will be about 

 54 rupees per acre. The capital required is estimated at 335,000 rupees. 

 The expenses of harvesting, transport, commission, etc., and depreciation 

 are reckoned at about 100 rupees per ton of fibre, while the value per 

 ton of dry fibre f.o.b. Java is about 300 rupees. The net profit, with a 

 production of 650 pounds per acre is not more than 5 per cent, but with a 

 production of 1,300 lbs. per acre it increases to 20 per cent. 



Hibiscus Fibre. 



Java jute is produced by a species of Hibiscus, said to be identical 

 with Hibiscus cannabinus, from which Madras jute and Cambo hemp 

 are obtained, but there appears to be some doubt whether this identi- 



