C0RDYL1NE INDIVISA = TOI OR MOUNTAIN PALM. 



959 



perished miserably. Not only is the fibre proof against wet, but it is ex- 

 ceedingly durable, immensely strong and tough, and is free from all gummy 

 and resinous matter. As is well known, the fibre of Phorrnium tenax, the 

 so-called flax of New Zealand, lacks continuity ; it is a combination of an 

 immense number of minute lengths of fibre which can be divided almost 

 indefinitely, and these are joined together by an adhesive gum, which is 

 very difficult to extract, and the extraction of which tends to the disintegra- 

 tion of the thread. Now the name of indivisa botanically applied to the 

 Mountain Palm suggests that possibly the name was given on account 

 of the absence of any such break in the continuity of the fibre, and as a 

 matter of fact close observation results in the discovery that each fibre of 

 the Mountain Palm is of individual and continuous identity throughout 

 the entire length of the leaf. A peculiar property of both leaf and fibre 

 is that they will stretch and are to a large extent elastic, a quality which 

 has not come under my notice in any other plant. The native mode of 

 cleaning the fibre is by wetting the leaf in the softest water procurable. 

 The native way of cleaning flax (Phormium) is by scraping the leaf, and 

 as our machinery imitates but falls far short of native manipulation in 

 excellence of results, we might also follow their lead by attempting the 

 retting process with the Toi, as this also is the method of freeing linseed 

 fibre (European Flax) from extraneous vegetation. I would suggest that 

 the Society should communicate with the Government in order that 

 experiments as to its growth and propagation should be made at experi- 

 mental stations. I believe there can be no doubt about the value of the 

 fibre, and the only questions to be settled are, the rapidity of growth of 

 the plant, and the quantity of fibre which each plant will yield per annum. 

 To discover these important points exhaustive experiment is warranted. 



