June i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
square corners, tho small ends being arranged around 
a central cone. Their surf ice is bright and smooth 
•is ivorv in one species yellow, in tho other blood-red. 
Tr 
th. 
ml; 
iatte 
equal if not larger proportion of aacchar 
The interior of the capsule is fibrous. Tlic custom of 
the natives is to chew the soft end, and having thus 
extracted all the nutriment, to throw on one Bide the 
hard portion, which they let lie in the sun till 
thoroughly dry, when they crack it between two 
stones and extract the kiko or kernel, which is similar 
to a tilbert and very wholesome. The ripe fruit. when 
boiled dowu produces a larg* percentage of excellent 
molasses; also, when steamed in tho Sawaiori oven 
and mashed up in warm water, it yields an intoxicat- 
ing liquor when fermented, and a strong spirit by 
distillation. But the chief use to which it is devoted 
is the preparation of what is called on the equator 
Ictlbobo, which serves the savage of the more barren 
isles in the place of bread. The soft parts of tho 
fruit are grated, and the pulp so obtained is dried in 
the sun. Its appearance is then that of coarse pmo 
sawdust, of a dark-brown colour and sweetish taste. 
It is packed fn baskets, solidly trodden into a hard 
mass witli the feet, and will keep for any length ot 
time. When required for use, it is moistened, kneaded, 
and baked on the stones. It is strong food, easily 
digested and very wholesome, but not very palatable 
to a European. 
The pandanus* tree grows usually upon coral, 
gravel, and clean sand, where there is no particle 
of mould, or soil, so that it seems beyond measure 
surprising that its roots could there find either moisture 
or nourishment. Nevertheless it contains a super- 
abundance of oily sap which exudes freely wherever 
it is cut with an axe. Growing as it does on the 
seashore, it would bt> liable to be blown down easily 
by a strong wind, were it not for a moat marvellous 
protection giveu it by a beneficent God. From the 
ground upwards, round and round the stem in a 
spiral row following the twist of the tree (to the height 
of about twelve feet), are what at first appear to be 
excrescences, looking like warts; these coutinue to 
protrude in the form of horns growing downward, 
straight, and about -the thickness of a man's arm, 
until they touch the ground, where they take deep 
root and seud out suei.ers in all directions, and so 
form a series of stays round the tree on every side, so 
that it s:ifely delies the power of the most furiousstornis. 
These stays, when macerated and freed from their 
oily pulp, yield a fibre similar in appearance to jute 
exceedingly white and exceedingly i 
trunk of the pandanus tree, at maturit 
low as a Btove-pipe ; the wood, never more than a 
few inches thick, is as hard as bone, and takes a 
very tine polish. 
The leaves of the pandanus tree are more than 
six feet in length, and from two to four inches wide, 
of a bright green, with a rib down the centre and 
edged on both s'dos with a row of sharp prickles. 
Roofs of houses, sails of canoes, flooring mats, 
and clothing of all sons are manufactured from the 
leaf. Wonderful and beautiful fabrics are made from 
it, all plaited by hand and dyed various colours. 
Waist-eh'thes and sashes, as white m linen and as soft, 
as ajlk, are also made from the leaves of this rich tree. 
I do not know of anything that will approach tho 
leaves of tho pandanus tree, as a papcr-makiug ma- 
terial. The tree grows from 0110 end to the other 
of Coral Kami*. It- leaves can be had for the trouble 
of cutting and all that i» Wanted ia to steep them 
in salt water, pound them and hleaofa them in the -nil. 
and (hay will be< e I soft i"d white as a linen rag. 
* Sinhalese »'<•'.• . : t ; ' " mmon to th- 
sua uoard of Ceylon. 
212 
The 
hol- 
INDUSTEUAL PROMOTION. 
An association for the promotion of domestic in- 
dustrial enterprises has recency been organized in this 
city under the title of " Associaeao Promotora da 
Industria Brazileira." According to a prospectus 
which has been sent out into the provinces the terms 
of member hip, or share-holding, aro 55000 per month, 
with loss of rights and full dividends in case of 
failure to meet the payments regularly. These fees 
will constitute the fund of the association, which 
will be used, (1) to advance the scheme itself and 
meet its expenses, and (2) to promote the realization 
of industrial projects. Every shareholder will be re- 
quired to exert his influence in favour of the 
association, and the projects promoted by if. When 
the funds shall be sufficient, a committee of the as- 
sociation will select one from the many industrial 
projects presented to it, which project will then be 
assisted from the fund, the party thus assisted being 
required to refund twice the amount received from 
the first receipts of tho enterprise. The surplus 
receipts of the association will be employed as follows : — 
25 per cent for dividends, 25 per cent, for the reserve 
fund, and 50 per cent for the realization of industrial 
enterprises. The association offers, also, to act as an 
intermediary between capitalists and the promoters 
of industrial enterprises, its office serving in that 
sense as an industrial agency. The prospectus is 
signed by Thomas Burns, Geo. S. Barnsley, J. J. 
Marcnant and Phil. Slaughter. 
With all due respect for the enterprise and opin- 
ions of the promoters of this scheme for aiding 
domestic industries, and also for the aspirations of 
those who would build up a diversity of manufacturing 
industries in Brazil, we beg leave to inquire whether 
the scheme above outlined is really feasible. 
One of the first elements which should enter into 
every industrial enterprise is that of practical ex- 
perience. Does this scheme promise anything of the 
kind? Are its promoters skilled manufacturers? and 
have they any one iudustry in contemplation ? On 
the contrary, the prospectus is silent on the question 
of experience, aud refers to domestic industries only 
in the most general way. In all probability the 
establishment of a cotton mill will be left to coffee 
planters, of an iron foundry to sugar cane growers, 
of a sugar mill to lawyers, and of a shipyard to 
physicians. The enterprise will be established because 
the country still lacks that particular industry, and 
because some dreamer fancies that he would like to 
undertake it. 
A second element in every industrial enterpri*"' — 
and it is a very necessary one — is capital. Now 
what does this scheme offer on this score? Simply 
monthly fees from shareholders at the rate of 55000 
per month. Suppose that there is a manifest desire 
to assist some man to start a central sugar factory 
in a locality where thero is an apparent need for such 
an establishment. Taking SOO.UOOS as the capital 
required for this enterprise, it will require the fees 
of over ten thousand shareholders for one year, or 
over fivo thousand for two years— only 50 pa cent 
of the surplus receipts can be used for this purpose — 
to realize tho sum needed. And in this estimato we 
leave unspecified the sum necessary for promoting 
the inter-sts of the association and the expenses 
necessary for its management, both of which will bo 
far from insignificant. It would seem, therefore, 
that the element of capital will bo a very uncertain 
factor in this scheme 
A tlurd el-mnt in "Very industrial enterprise is 
that of management— to u-<> the word in iu most 
general sense. There should bo unanimity of pur|>ose 
lit th- outoel, oompaotaeii of association lor ellicicncy 
„l control,, and then a d. finite ami. In what »en-» 
does this scheme jnoot any of these requirement* ! 
