October, 1910,3 



297 



FIBRES. 



AFRICAN BASS OR PIASSAVA 

 (RAPHIA VINIFERA, BBAUV.) 



By J. M. H. 



(Prom the R.B.G. Kew Bulletin of 

 Miscellaneous Information, No. 5, 1910.) 



In the Kew Bulletin for 1891, pp, 1-5, is 

 recorded the history of West African 

 Bass fib^e from the Colony of Lagos, 

 and in the same publication in the year 

 following, pp. 299-300, appeared a further 

 note on the shipment of this fibre from 

 Appam, a port on the Gold Coast. 

 Several kinds of the fibre are now 

 regularly exported from various ports 

 in West Africa, and quite recently some 

 3,000 bundles of the fibre were submitted 

 to auction in Liverpool. 



In the Monthly Consular and Trade 

 Reports of the United States of America, 

 No. 352, 1910, p. 213, the following in- 

 teresting details are given ot the in- 

 dustry in this product in Liberia : — 

 "Piassava was discovered about 1889 by 

 J. H. Hugges, of Grand Bassa, Liberia, 

 and was introduced to the commercial 

 world in 1890. The value ot this product 

 was immediately appreciated in Europe, 

 and for some years commanded the high 

 price of $288 to $836 per ton. Just" as 

 the settlements in Montserrado County 

 once flourished from the coffee industry, 

 Grand Bassa, with its piassava, assumed 

 the primacy in Liberian export trade, 

 and became the headquarters for the 

 industry of the West Coast of Africa, 

 The large profits attracted the aboriginal 

 population by the thousands throughout 

 the Republic and by 1904 piassava had 

 overtaken coffee and was the chief article 

 of Liberian export, For a number of 

 years this Republic was the only country 

 from which piassava was secured. It 

 proved, however, to be such a profitable 

 industry that Liberia was brought into 

 keen rivalry with the piassava from 

 European dependencies in West Africa 

 and fibre-producing countries of South 

 America. This forced the price down 

 at times to as low as $48 a ton. 



"Preparation o/ Piassava. — Piassava 

 fibre is secured from the Raphia palm 

 {Raphia vinifera). Indigenous to the 

 country, it grows in abundance in Grand 

 Bassa, and is found in every country of 

 the Republic. The fronds or branches 

 of the trees are cut up into the desired 

 lengths and placed in water— preferably 

 running— to remain until all the sub- 

 stance except the fibre has decayed. 

 When sufficiently decayed, the branches 

 88 



are beaten until the fibre is free of all 

 extraneous matter, then cleaned by 

 being drawn through nails closely driven 

 in a board rack. After being sun-dried 

 the fibre is ready for market. The 

 profits were so great and the preparation 

 is so simple that many who rushed into 

 the industry adopted faulty methods, 

 which left the fibre half cleaned. This 

 materially assisted outside compeoition 

 in bringing down the price of Liberian 

 piassava. The merchants divide the 

 products into the first aud second grades. 



The Export Trade. Commercial Uses, — 

 The rapid decline of coffee was attended 

 by the equally rapid rise of piassava. 

 However, poor methods of preparation 

 and foreign competition soon materially 

 reduced prices, and, quickly following 

 in the wake of coffee, piassava receded 

 from its primacy in Liberian trade. The 

 local merchants now pay in cash ljt to 

 2 cents per pound for the fibre and 2 to 

 2£ cents in goods, according to quality. 

 The price in Liverpool this season 

 is $62-40 to $84 per ton, against $57-60 

 to $97-20 at this time last year, These 

 low prices are causing Liberians to turn 

 to more lucrative productions. The 

 amount of fibre exported in 1908 was 

 as follows :— 



Quarter. 

 First 

 Second 

 Third 

 Fourth 



Pounds. 

 2,297,512 

 1,843,319 

 531,199 

 2,697,832 



Value $. 



48,022 

 52,698 

 48,420 

 54,168 



Total ... 7,369,862 203,308 



"The commercial use of piassava fibre 

 is chiefly in making brushes and brooms, 

 yet it may be used for baskets, in street- 

 sweeping machines, for cordage, bottoms 

 for chairs, etc. The Raphia vinifera 

 produces an ivory nut with a hard outer 

 covering from which Africans make 

 rings and other articles for decoration 

 and dress. Piassava is tied up at both 

 ends and in bundles from 2 to 3 feet long, 

 much like American wheat. It is remark- 

 able how strong this fibre is and how 

 well it resists decay and endures the 

 wear and tear of the roughest work. 



" In exchange for American goods and 

 provisions, thousands of pounds of this 

 piassava may be had at almost every 

 Liberian port. The aboriginal as well 

 as the American-Liberians are anxious 

 to secure American products, and for 

 them they show a decided preference. 

 In case American exporters seek to 

 extend trade in this district consider- 

 ation should be given to piassava fibre. 



