f&&1 i, l%Bf,i] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
showing the avrage price per tou of Sisal hemp in 
London for the years 1879-1886 inclusive, we are enabled, 
by the courtesy of Messrs. Ide and Christie, to give 
the following :— 1879, 24/. ; 1880, 27/.. ; 1881, 28?. ; 
1882, 28/. ; 1883, 27/.; 1884, 21?. ; 1885, 19/. ; 1886, 211. 
The average price for the three months ending March 
31st 1887, is 281. per ton. 
VIII.— Plantain and Banana Fibre. 
(Musol Sapientum, R. Br.) 
In connection with Manila hemp some reference may 
be made to fibres produced by other species of the 
genus Musa. The late Director of the Botanical Depart- 
ment, Jamaica, discusses the subject as follows: — 
" It would appear that the fibre of the ordinary plan- 
"tain and of the banana is valued at about 12Z. or 
" 15/. per tou. This it will be noticed is only one- 
" third the value of the best qualities of Manila 
"hemp. There are in both the Bast Indies and West 
''Indies numerous wild species of Musa which might 
" yield good fibre, but so far none appears to have 
"been found equal to the plant-yielding Manila hemp. 
"The following facts have been elicted by recent ex- 
periments. A banana stem just after fruiting, cut 
" as is usual with the country people, about 2 feet 
" above ground, and denuded of its foliage weighed 
" 108 pounds ; this being divided into three lengths 
" of 2h feet each and split longitudinally into several 
"pieces was prepared by beating and washing by 
"hand, and yielded 25 ounces of clean marketable 
"fibre, which is at the rate of 1 '44 per cent, of the 
"gross weight. The fibre of the lower portion of the 
" stem, as also the fibre in the petioles of the leaves 
" was not extracted. 
" A smaller banana, cut under similar circumstances, 
"that is, 2 feet from the ground, and denuded of 
" its foliage, weighed 41 pounds. This was divided 
" into two lengths of 2| feet each, and after being 
" split longitudinally into several pieces was prepared 
" by hand, and yielded 6f ounces of good clean fibre 
"or at the rate of 1'02 per cent, on the gross weight. 
"At the Hope Plantation similar experiments were 
" conducted with banana stems which yielded very much 
"the same results. Two banana stems cut after fruit- 
"iug, at two feet from the ground, and denuded of 
"their leaves, weighed 117 pounds. These yielded 33 
" ounces of clean fibre, or at the rate of 1-14 per cent 
" on the gross weight. 
" From ordinary stems of banana, cut after fruiting 
"at about 1J to 2 feet above ground, a settler might 
"easily prepare about I| pounds of clear fibre, but if 
"the stems aro large, and if the whole length is 
"used as well as the petioles of the leaves the amount 
" of fibre might be increased to 2h pounds if not 3 pounds 
" per stem. 
" With plantain stems* the results are more satis- 
" factory than with the banana, both as regards the yield 
" and the quality of the fibre. 
"At the Oastleton Gardens, a plantain stem weigh- 
" ing, when cut and dressed, 25 pounds, was pre- 
" pared in exactly the same manner as the banana 
" stems above described aud yielded 7| ounces of clean 
"fibre or at the rate of V&i per cent ou the gross 
" weight. At the Hope Plantation a plantain stem 
" weighing exactly the same, viz., 25 pounds, yielded 
" 0 ounces of clean fibro or at the rate of 2'25 per 
' cent on the gross weight, The plantain fibre is 
"whiter and finer than the banana fibre, audit ap- 
proaches more nearly to the flue glossy character of 
"the fibre of the Manila plantain, 
"For purposes of cornpirison I had the fibre of a 
"small stem of the Manila plantain, which, cut at 6 
"inches above ground and trimmed, weighed 10 pounds, 
' prepared in the same manner as the banana and 
"plantain fibre, and the result was 3 ounces of a 
JJ beautifully fine ami glossy fibre. This is at the rate 
' of 1\S7 per cent ou the gross weight. 
* It ia to be understood that in these notes the 
plantain is what is used as a vogetable, whilo the 
banana is the soft sweet fruit seen on tables for 
di's.-ort. In India the name plantain appears to be 
applied indifferently to both of these, So iu Ceylon. 
"In Jamaica another plantain s known as the Abys- 
" sinian plantain, Mvsa ensetc, which is the largest 
" species of this genus. It was discovered by the 
" traveller Bruce in Abyssinia, and is remarkable as 
" being represented ou ancient Egyptian sculptures. 
"Specimens of this plantain growing at the Govern- 
"ment Ciuchona Plantations at 5,000 feet have often 
" leaves 20 feet long, the stem is about 8 feet in cir- 
" cumference at the base, rises to a height of 25 
" feet and weighs prob ibly about a quarter of a ton.* 
" Specimens of fibre prepared from this plantain 
"are of excellent quality. Taking a portion of the 
" central stem about 4 feet long and weighing 73 
" pounds, clean fibre, weighing 13 ounces, was obtained 
"by beating and washing by hand. This is at the rate 
" of P16 per cent, on the gross weight. 
" This plant might be grown extensively for its 
" fibre, and it should prove valuable, but of course 
" not equal to M. i'extUis, which is unapproachable 
"as a fibre plant." 
It may be metioned that samples of all the banana 
and plantain fibres noticed above are to be seen in 
the Kew Museum, No. 2. 
From the same source we find that about 2,000,000 
banana stems, after the fruit is gathered, are cut 
down every year in Jamaica, which are allowed to rot 
on the laud without any attempt being made to 
utilise the fibre they contain. Ib is suggested that 
the merchants who purchase the fruit from the negroes 
should offer a small sum for clean and well-dried 
fibre, and take it in small lots as it comes to hand. 
The merchant might afterwards sort and pack the 
fibre and put it up in tightly compressed bales for 
shipment. Some such plan as this, suited to local 
circumstances, evidently offers the best means of start- 
ing a banana-fibre industry in the West iudies. 
Iu the course of the energetic efforts made by 
Governor Sir William Robinson, k.c.m.c;., to develop 
what are called "minor industries" at Trinidad, 
attention has naturally been directed to the utilisation 
of fibre from both the cultivated and wild species 
of Jfusa. 
A " red banana," very commonly cultivated as a 
6hade and fruit plant, and the supply of which is 
said to be almost inexhaustible, has been brought for- 
ward as a possible source of commercial fibre. 
A sample of fibre prepared from this red banana 
was recently sent to Kew, and the opinion of Messrs. 
Ide and Christie obta'nsd upon it. Their report, 
dated 29th October 1886, is as follows: — 
" We think highly of this fibre, for which wc 
" consider there might be a considerable demand, pro- 
" vided it could be produced of a better colour. We 
"jare inclined to think its dull hue is probably the 
" result of inexperience in its treatment, either by 
" allowing it to steep too long in rather foul water 
"|or from the leaves beiug too old and discoloured 
*' before treatment. The attention of preparers should 
" be directed to the production of a fibre of the bright 
" natural colour of the enclosed specimen of Manila 
" hemp, and were quantities of the new fibre produced 
" of this appearance we think they would command 
" 24/. or 25/. per tou to-day iu the London market. 
" Colour is of great consequence when fibres are used 
" for the production of 'white hemp ' ropes. Of course, 
" iu the manufacture of tarred rope colour is of no 
' Imoment, but the white ' hemp,' Manila, Sisul, aud 
"New Zealand are seldom tarred." 
It is quite possible that, iu spite of many 
years of experimental trial, the fibres of the banana 
and plantain may not assume great commercial 
importance. In that case attentiou might be turned 
in another direction, and they might bo partly pre- 
pared on the spot and utilised for papcr-makiug. But 
to compete successfully with esparto aud wood-pulp 
the fibro or "half-stuff" of banana and plantain 
should be delivered in Europe at a cost not exceed- 
ing 4'. to 6/. per ton, depending on condition, For 
paper-making it might be sufficient to cut the stenn 
into short pieces, and then divide theui longitudinally 
* There are a few specimens of this giqautiu plan 
at JLUk^alu.— En. 
