Fibres. 



[August, 1909, 



have been more or less successful, soon 

 upon the field. That was at the end of 

 1893. Some two years after, while 

 camped near Bulla-Bulling at an old 

 deserted camp, I was astonished to find 

 some oats in full ear ; but what struck 

 me principally was a plant producing 

 white clusters of flowers, and large blad- 

 der-like capsules containing a fluffy, 

 silky fibre like the Scotch thistle, and 



f>roducing a white milky substance simi- 

 ar to rubber. This plant must have 

 been brought by seed in imported for- 

 age. 



When the South African War broke 

 out, I got the war fever, aud pro2eed- 

 ing to Africa, remained there, having 

 travelled from the Cape to the Zambesi, 

 Portuguese Africa, and then to the Equ- 

 ator and Congo. In all these countries 

 this particular plant was seen in iso- 

 lated parts, but not cultivated. Nobody 

 knew of its value, only that the silky 

 cotton could be used like kapok for 

 stuffing furniture, and would not pay 

 to export. This is merely mentioned to 

 show that it can adapt itself to various 

 climates, although indigenous to the 

 Congo, Uganda, and Abyssinia. While 

 at Uganda, planting rubber at the head 

 of the Nile on the Victoria Nyansa, I 

 wanted some rope for aline, and request- 

 ed a native to get some, thinking he 

 would get the bast of a banana. Much 

 to my surprise the boy started pulling 

 this particular plant, and drawing the 

 fibre, then twisting it into rope of re- 

 markable strength. I then forwarded 

 samples of rope, fibre and botanical 

 specimen to the Imperial Institute, 

 London, with the result that the plant 

 was identified as Asclepias semilunata, 

 and the fibre, if properly prepared, was 

 valued, on the London market, at £35 

 per ton. The examination of samples 

 sent from Uganda has shown that it is 

 very strong aud of excellent quality, 

 and would doubtless be used for cordage 



manufacture, but it has not yet been ex- 

 ported in sufficient quantities for actual 

 trials on a manufacturing scale. It is 

 possible that the fibre might also be 

 utilised for the manufacture of explo- 

 sives, but this question is at present 

 under investigation. I sent a sample of 

 the fibre and a quantity of seed to the 

 Hon. John Perry, M.P., to test if it can 

 be successfully grown in New South 

 Wales. I feel confident that it can be 

 profitaly grown, as its geographical dis- 

 tribution is so well known to me ; I have 

 seeu it at an elevation of 7,000 ft. above 

 sea-level at Johannesburg ; also at Rhode- 

 sia, and in Australia ; but have not seen 

 it near the coast, though it may succeed 

 near the sea. The cultivation of A. 

 semilunata is simple : sow as you would 

 wheat or oats, after the land has been 

 harrowed ; seed thickly, so as to produce 

 stems 5 ft. to 6 ft, long. It will grow on 

 stony land, on the flat or hill-sides ; it 

 requires no irrigation, and will with- 

 stand drought with impunity. With 

 cheap freight from Sydney to London, 

 let alone local market, this fibre may 

 prove to be a desirable subsidiary indus- 

 try for New South Wales. The writer, 

 who is an Austialian, thinks that the 

 seed must at some time have been intro- 

 duced into Australia by the late Baron 

 von Mueller, otherwise it is a mystery 

 how he saw it at Coolgardie. The writer 

 trusts that through the columns of the 

 Agricultur al Gazette more will be heard 

 from tests in New South Wales. 



The sample of fibre forwarded to the 

 Hon. the Minister for Agriculture was 

 submitted to Messrs. Forsyth and Co., 

 rope manufacturers, Sydney, who re- 

 ported as follows : "The fibre is equal to 

 manila, and is valued at £35 per ton. 

 The length and colour are good. They 

 would give £35 per ton for it, but the 

 fibre must not be less than 4 ft. long. 

 The quantity submitted was too small 

 to make a test." 



DRUGS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



TOBACCO CULTIVATION IN CUBA. 



(From the Agricultural Netvs, Vol. VIII., 

 No. 183, May 1, 1909.) 



The methods of raising tobacco, and 

 the prices paid for labour on tobacco 

 estates in Cuba, have been investigated 

 by the United States Consul at Havana, 

 and are reported upon in detail in 

 the Consular and Trade Reports for 

 February last, issued from Washington. 



The chief tobacco-growing districts of 

 Cuba are in the provinces of Havana and 



Pinar del Rio, and it is here that the 

 best quality leaf is grown, Of late years 

 the cost of production has largely in- 

 creased, owing to the greater demand 

 for labour in connexion with other 

 industries. 



The Consul takes as the basis of his 

 estimate an area equal to an English 

 acre, and gives the details of expen- 

 diture necessary to produce the tobacco 

 from the young plant to the leaf in bale, 

 both when sun-grown, and when raised 

 under shade provided by cheese cloth. 



