THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [February i, 1889. 
A "BED BANANA." 
Very commonly cultivated as a shade and fruit 
plant, and the supply of which is said to be almost 
inexhaustible, has been brought forward as a possible 
source of commercial fibre. A sample of fibre pre- 
pared from this red banana was recently sent to Kew, 
and the opinion of Messrs. Ide and Christie obtained 
upon it. Their report, dated October 29, 1886, is as 
follows: — "We think highly of this fibre, for which 
we consider there might be a considerable demand, 
provided it could be produced of a better colour. We 
are inclined to think its dull hue is probably the re- 
sult of inexperience in its treatment either by allow- 
ing it to steep too long in rather foul water or 
from the leaves being too old and discoloured before 
treatment. The attention of prepares 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 
241. or 251. per ton to-day in the London market. Colour 
is of great consequence when fibres are used for the 
production of 'white hemp' ropes. Of course, in the 
manufacture of tarred rope, colour is of no moment-, 
but the white 'hemp' manila, Sisal and New Zealand 
are seldom tarred. It is quite possible, Mr. Morris 
says, that in spite of many years of experimental 
trial the fibres of the banana and planatain many not 
assume great commercial importance. In that case 
attention might be turned in another direction and 
they might be partly prepared on the spot and uti- 
lised far paper-making. But to compete successfully 
with esparto aud wood-pulp the fibre or "half stuff" 
of banana and plantain he says should be delivered 
in Europe at a cost not exceeding 41. to 61. per ton 
depending on condition. For paper making it might 
be sufficient to cut the stems into short pieces and 
then divide them longitudinally into numerous nar- 
row strips. These after being passed between rollers 
to get rid of the water and mucilage might be dried 
in the sun and afterwards put up in compressed 
t ales for shipment. The whole subject, however, as 
Mr. Morris rightly observes, resolves itself into a 
question of cost, and it can only be practically solved 
in countries like Demerara, Trinidad and Jamaica, 
where several thousand acres are occupied by banana 
plantations, and where sufficient material lies closo 
at hand to maintain a moderately large industry. — 
Colonies and India. 
» 
PIASABA FIBBE. 
From the Proceedings of the Madras Agri-Horti- 
cultural Society we quote as follows : — 
Bead the followiug letter from the Ordnance Officer 
in charge, Arsenal, Fort AVilliam, No. 2496, dated 
Gth June 1888 : — " I have the honor to request 
you will kindly inform me, if your Society can supply 
this Arsenal, with any Piasaba (a Palm growth) which 
is required for Government manufactures. When 
in Madras about 2 years ago, I obtained some by 
sending coolies up the palms for it. A sample taken 
from a bush is forwarded herewith for inspection. 
I regret that I have no full length spines. 
In tlie event of none being obtainable from the 
Society, 1 would feci much obliged by your kindly 
informing me, to whom I should apply, as also the 
Botanical name for the palm, on which Piasaba is 
found.'' Id ad also the following letter from the 
Honorary Secretary, dated ICth July 1888, No. 1010, 
in reply;—" In reply to your letter No. 2496 of the 
Olh instant, 1 have the honor to inform you, that 
w<- have no palm here known by the name of" Piasaba." 
Wn have carefully gone over the list of fibre-yield. 
ipgpalt&R, iu Watt's Economic Products of India, Vol. 
IV, the names of wh'ch are, Arc.ca catechu, Arenga 
gachorifera, Monism.* jlabelliformis, Calamus llotimy, 
Qatyota mens, Ohamarops Ritchicma, Cocos nucifera. 
Qoryplia v/mbractMfera, Licuala peltata, phanix sylvestris, 
I'lin in. i fiiriiiiji rn, mid, J'hanix I'atiulasa, under none 
of which can we find "Piasaba." The only one of 
the above Palms that produces fibre in quality to 
agree very nearly with the sample you sent, is Caryota 
mens, which though not common about Madras, is 
probably obtainable in small quantities in some of the 
Hill Forests. A sample of the fibre of Caryota wens 
is herewith sent for your inspection. If it be suit- 
able for your requirements, and you can give us 
some idea of the quantity wanted, and the cost to 
which we may go in sending out men to collect it 
aDd forwarding it to you, we shall be happy to 
endeavour to comply with vonr wishes." 
Read the following letter from the Ordnance Officer 
Arsenal, dated Fort William, 24lh July 1888, in reply' 
— "I have the honour to thank you for yours of the 
6th instant. The fibre, specimen received, is too weak 
for arsenal purposes, for which something stiff but 
not brittle is necessary. I find that Webster calls 
Piasaba, Piassava fibrous product of the palm tree At- 
tatea funifera, imported from Brazil. In the days when 
the Cape route was the only one for India, vessels 
used piasaba swabs to clean their decks, and they then 
went under the head of ciir or coir. The. old sailors re- 
member them well, but they have been quite out of 
use for some time." Recorded. Resolved that further 
enquiries and experiments be made on the above 
subject. 
+ 
A FOREIGN VIEW OF THE QUININE 
MARKET. 
The cost of making quinine is discussed by the 
British and Colo nial Druggist, and the following con- 
clusions arrived at: — 
The present state of the market for sulphate of 
quinine is not without interest. That sulphate should 
be sold at Is 3Jd seems almost ridiculous, when it is 
remembered that at that figure it is impossible to 
manufasture it without loss. We have it stated on 
the best authority that Is 4d is the lowest price at 
which the article can be made at a profit, whilst the value 
of bark remains as it is now. Despite the prognosti- 
cations which are made iu some quarters and circulated 
in others— prognostications which are all detrimental 
to the prospects of bark— the value is steadily maintain- 
ed, and all attempts to depreciate it fail. We are 
always being told of large shipments which are 
coming forward from Ceylon, but although these are 
never lost sight of, we seldom hear anything with 
regard to the stocks existing there, which must 
necessarily be getting lower every time a shipment is 
made. The policy of some manufacturers in selling 
quinine for forward delivery at low price, is one 
which they may some day have cause to regret. We 
ourselves cannot see the object of it. Of course, 
manufacturers may be able to see further into the 
future than other people, and may possibly be able to 
foresee such a fall in the price of bark as shall en- 
able them to do more than recoup themselves for 
the risk they run, but up to the present the power 
of seeing into the future appears to be confined to 
themselves, as at each succeeding sale of bark, both 
here and at Amsterdam, the prices realized are, con- 
trary to what we should be led to expect, fully equal 
to, if not better, than those obtained at the pre- 
vious one. Admitting the fact that sulphate cannot 
be manufactured at less than Is. 4d. per ounce with- 
out leaving a loss to the maker, the sellers at Is. 
3Jd. must be losing a considerable amount of money 
over the transactions. How long they will continue 
to do so is a question, as we have already said de- 
pending either upon the value of bark or upon 
their willingness to keep on selling at a loss. Doubt- 
less every effort will be made to depress the market 
for cinchona, and we have already seen a circular 
issued which was calculated to have that effejt (but 
the only result of which was to momentarily depress 
quinine), and unless these efforts are successful, it 
seems almost certain that the contracts recently 
made at Is 3Jc must in the end result in loss to the 
seller. Already the steady tone exhibited lately in 
regard to bark is beginning to make itself felt upon 
market for quinine, the latter having become much 
