November i, 1887] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3i5 
The palm plantations are situated on iiat alluvia 
lauds, about sis: to ten feet above the water of the 
rivers, and creeks which run through the delta, and 
they are intersected with numerous open canals or 
ditchos four feet wide or more, for carrying off the 
surplus water in the rainy season, and for retaining 
it, by means of woodeu sluices fixed on the bunks 
which surround the plantations or fields for purposes 
of iirigatiou. 
The land is not wholly given up to palm cultivation, 
but othor crops, as bananas, plantain!*, papays, 
oranges, peaohes, ginger, betel-pepper plant, and 
various vegetables occupy shares of the ground. 
The cultivation of the palm and the manufacture 
of fans from its loaves is a most important industry. 
According to Mr. Henry, the manufacture of the 
fanfl after the loaves have been cut gives employment 
to about one huudred firms, and from ten to twenty 
thouiaud people. When the plantations are made, 
the young seedlings are placed at various distances 
apart, in order that different kinds of leaves, which 
are produced from plants growing at close and wider 
distances asunder, may be obtained for the manu- 
facture of fans, for which thick or thin, or largo or 
small leaves are required. 
"The most perfect plantation which I saw was about 
half a milu iu length, and about a quarter of a mile 
in width. It was draiued uy means of open canals 
as above described. The maiu body of plants were 
iu perfectly straight rows, and they were exactly 4 
feet 4 inches apart; the stems were from 2 feet to 
4 feet high, and they bore about six fully developed and 
perfect leaves, the pelicles (stems) of which were 5 
feet long, and the blade or leaf itself 3 feet long. 
Next to, and surrounding the main body of palms, 
about 100 feet wide of smaller palms, which were 
growing at only 2 feet from each othor. The stems 
were but 1 foot high, they bore the same number of 
leaves (six) as the other plants, but, unlike them, half 
the number of leaves were bad. The leaves and their 
stems were each 1 foot shorter than those on the 
larger plants, aud the pelicles were much more 
slender. Outside of this belt, and on the extreme 
margin of the plantation, there was a secoud belt 
which, however, was very narrow. It consisted of 
only threo rows of palms, the plauts being very close 
together, only 1 foot 4 inches apart. None of the 
leaves on this belt appeared good enough for fan 
manufacture. 
" The inner belt < f plants was intended, by reason of 
thicker planting, to serve as a screen to protect the 
main plantation from the damaging effects of winds, 
while at the same time it affords finer leaves for 
smaller fans. The marginal aud closely planted belt 
was placed on the river bank to serve as a feuco to 
keep intruders out of the plantation. For this pur- 
pose the palm, while in a young state, aud whon plauted 
together, is well adapted; thu spines on the petioles 
presenting a barrier sufliciently offensive to the bare, 
stockiugless, and shoeless legs and feet of the Chinese 
cooly. The long, straight vistas, the regularity of 
the planting, and the canopy of the verdaut leaves 
overhead, produce on tho visitor a delightful impression 
which is worth travelling some distance to experience. 
" Other plantations contained palms of all ages. 
Some had trees upwards of a hundred years old, 
according to tho assertions of natives, but these plant- 
ations always contained trees of mixed ages, youug 
plants having been constantly added to take tho place 
of older ones as they died out, or were blown down 
by winds. Tho old trees were always of a very 
stunted appearance, a condition which would naturally 
ensue from the continued luppiug of its leavos. A 
parasitical fungus or lichun covered tbeso old trunks, 
asid gave them the appearance of having been white- 
washed. Tho tallest trees seen wero only about twelve 
feet high, but thoy were said to be upwards of a 
hundred years old. The leaves on these old trees are 
larger and stouter than those on young plants, and 
the stems i.f the h aves are only about n foot long. 
Tho palm begins to yield leaves suitable for fans 
when it is about six years old. The first cutting of 
leaves takes place early iu thu year, aud the leaves 
which are somewhat damaged by tho winterly winds 
aud consequently of inferior quality, are used for 
thatch in the construction of the ' matshc-ds ' which 
are too extensively used for temporary purposes in 
China. 
" Leaves for fan making are obtained iu April, one, 
two, or three leaves being taken from each plant, aud 
tho process is continued each month until November, 
when, I was informed, cutting is discontinued for 
a few months. The leaves are taken from the plant- 
ations to a clear space covered with shoit grass turf. 
Here each leaf has a thin piece of bamboo place'd 
across the blado where it is joined on tho stem. Each 
end of the bamboo is secured iu its plucc by the loose 
end of a segment ot the leaf being dexterously bound 
round it. Thu bamboo prevents thu leaf curling up 
while it is drying. The leaves are then laid out singly 
on the turf to dry in the sun, and collected and 
stacked at night. The process is continued daily until 
the leaves are quite dry, when they are either sent 
off direct to the town to bo made into fans, or they 
are stacked for a time until the manufacturers are 
ready to receive them." 
The manufactory of tho fans is carried on chiefly 
iu the town of the San Ui, but there are also some 
establishments in tho country where this is done. 
The dried leaves are .subjected to a process of blaueh- 
ing by means of sulphur. They are then straightened 
and roudered shapely by being held aiod, manipulated 
over a charcoal fire. The operator, as he finishes the 
fans, places them one by one on each other, making 
a heap on the floor; the heap is firmly pressed down 
by the weight of the operator, who stands on a board 
placed on top of the heap while he is working at 
succeeding fans. "When a heap of twenty or thirty 
fans have been thus treated, they are removed, and 
another series is begun. The next process is sewiug 
on the bindings at the edge of the fans, this is done 
by womeu aud children, chiefly at their own homes, 
aud the fans returned, when finished, to the manu- 
facturer. The more expensive fitting of horn aud 
bamboo handles is done at Canton. The portion of 
the stalk which is not required as a handle for the 
fan is not wasted ; it is composed of a fibrous 
material that is utilised in making short lengths o; 
rope used as slings to suspeud baskets from carrying 
poles. Around the stem, as bases of the leaf stalks, 
there is a quautity of fibrous substance, somewhat 
resembling coir fibre; this is carefully collected, and 
also used for making ropes. — Journal of the Society 
of Arts. 
♦ 
THE CULTIVATION OF THE CASTOR OIL 
PLANT.* 
According to a common saying the castor oil plant 
can bo growu wherever Indiau corn will grow. Yet 
this saying does not quite correspond with the facts, 
because, while it may accompany corn northwards 
as an ornamental plant, if the locality is favourable, 
its profitable cultivation is only possible in certain 
zones. In the United States, for instance, the northern 
limit is about the middle of Iowa, aud as far as altitude 
is concerned, tho castor oil shrub remains from 
•2(KX) to 3u00 feet below the level at which corn may still 
be raised. The castor oil plaut is not a food-plant 
like corn; its only value lies in its yield of oil; 
and thu warmer its place of growth the more oil 
will it yield. Hence it would be folly to expect 
large profits (if any at all) from the cultivation 
of the castor oil plant in unsuitable localities. 
The question of the applicability of any giveu local- 
ity for this cultivation, however, depends for answer 
upon still other conditions, besides atmospheric temper- 
ature. It is uecesaary to take iuto account the avail- 
able moisture. In many parts of the sub-tropical 
/.one the coldest period arrives at the close ol the 
rainy season, which corresponds to the winter. This 
cold period must bo allowed to elapse completely 
* Extract from ' Die Trppischa Agriculture. Kin 
Handbuch fur Pflaiv/er and Kautleuie,' von Heinrich 
Semlor in San Francisco. Vol. II., Svo, Wiimar. 1*-,". 
From the American Vruggi.'t, Jaue, 
