Jan. I, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
4^3 
THK SUPPLY OF, AND DEMAND FOR FIBRE : 
PALMYRA AND COIR TIBRE AND MAN A 
GRASS. 
The Fibre trade is one with which many of the 
ColoDiea of the British Empirj are largely con- 
cerned. Cej Ion itself has an important interest 
in it, for not only do we at present export a 
very considerable quantity of the artiolo, but we 
indulge the hope that the future may see that 
export largely extended. The information con- 
veyed by our London Correspondent on this 
Bubjsci — see Tropical Agriculturist — will be read 
with intpreet by many throughout the limits of 
this island. It would seem to be the case that, 
until there occurs that general revival of trade for 
which we have so long been waiting, there is but 
liitle chance of the demand extending. Iudee5, 
at the present time, it is only the common des- 
criptions of fibre that are much sought after ia 
the London market. Our correspondent surmises 
that the present stagnatioa is Inrgely — indeed 
mainly — due to the depressed condition of the 
shipping trade. Until therj is once again 
indue raeut for building new ships, the demand 
for rope, into the manufacture of whioh ooir fibre 
enters more e8peci,= lly, must, he considers, rrm^in 
dull. Then again, there can be no doubt that the 
substitution of wire rope for all the standing rigging 
of vessels, an application which seems to be daily 
■widening and to be likely to still further develop, has 
muchto do with the present slackness of demand 
rope made from fibre. We are told thit even 
for that known as Sisal, whioh enters largely 
into the composi'.ion of the more valuable qualities 
of rope, the demand is at the preeejt time 
rather slack. Coir fibre, however, of whioh 
our exports mainly oonsiet, has such a 
variety of applications in mat-making and other 
kindred employments that probably the require- 
ment for it will remain steady, while higher- 
priced sorts of fibre find but a slack msrket. 
That produced by the Palmyra palm, we are 
told, is mainly used for brush and broom making. 
Now there is a certainty that the requirements 
of home households will always use up a large 
amount of thi? desorip;ion ; but the export trade 
in these articles has experienced a ssvere reduction 
in amount, and so long as th s continues it does 
not seem likely that the present rate of consump- 
tion of this article ia likely to extend. This 
parliculir description of fibre has, we are told, 
receive! of late the attantion of the brush-making 
trade because the supply, hitherto abundant, of 
Piassava,— a stiff fibre until now largely exported 
from the Braz ls, — has rcoetitly undergone diminu 
tion. Whether the growth of the plant producing this 
last is likely odc9 more to reoeiva extension we are not 
told; but palmyra fibre has boen found to ba so efficient 
and 60 cheap a substitute for it, that, perhaps the 
conservatism of trade will maintain the present 
position of our local production. In view of the 
money brought to among the inhabitants of 
our Northern and Eastern Provinces by the late 
demand for palmyra fibre?, it is to be hoped this 
anticipation may bi realised. At all even's we sfcould 
say that the prospects of a maintenance uf the 
existiijg demand are iulKcitntly good to induce 
those posseijsed of pilmyra tjpes to extend its 
cultivation as recommen;led in a recoat article in 
our columns, 
It is to be ff-ared that the hope at one time 
entertained that that wild product of many of 
our waste lands, mana grass, would find ad- 
Bptabiliiy in many descriptions of home manufac- 
ture muit now be given up. Tho experiments 
gtjnduoted with it, E^Ubuu(jU iheii; results appehcct^ 
Gt_ first to promise well, have not brought ebout 
this desirable result. They may be seid, indeed, 
to have terminated in failure. It has been tried 
for all sjrts of purposes, among others for the 
manufacture of gunpowder ; but for this 
as for all the other branetifs experimented 
with, it has been finally deo'arei to be un- 
suitable. Si^sal fibre, wo are somewhat surprised 
to learn, varies so greatly in quality that the 
price in the London market varies from £19 up 
to £15 per ton ; but for the higher-priced qualities 
there seems to be but littie present demand, 
doubtless on account of the restricted quantity of 
(he better description of roping now required, 
?or the reasons before sta'ed. Perhaps Mr. Joseph 
Chamberlain, M.P., who has just returned from 
his visit to the Bahamas, undertaken mainly with 
the view of inquiring into the cultivation of 
the plant yielding this fibre, may be able to give 
information likely to revive the hopes once held 
as to tbe commercial value of the product. The 
lienequen of Mexico, again we are told, is not keenly 
sought after just at the present time, though but 
a short timo pgo it was booming among the London 
manufacturers. In the United States, it is still much 
in request. We had formed bright anticipa- 
tions, that the proposal to use coir fibre as a protec- 
tion against water iintry in men-of-war would 
have CRused a stimulated demand for it, but our 
correspondent tells us that inquiries have re- 
Eulted in his learning that as yet no disposition 
has been shown to miko any considerable use 
of it for that purpose. Altogether we must con- 
clude that, we shall have to await a revival ot 
trade before we can writs hopefully as to the 
prospects of our various fibre industries. 
THE REV. A. PATON ON CE\LON TEA. 
A series of very interesting le'ters by the Rev. A, 
Paton on Ceylon— its life, proJuct.s, end varied 
a tractiooa have been appsanug weekly in sime of 
the Scotch pap rs. Some 20 in all have been written, 
aud while tiaey are characterized by a pleasiug 
literary touch, ttiey are not mere snrfaoe sketohes, 
but are full of close minute observation and accnrate 
informstioD. While not neglecting hia oburcb work 
he seems to have seen iiittlligently much iu the 
inland and ropresonted it faithfully. This ia what 
Ueyloa requires. One of his recent a'rticles we observe 
is on Cjffej aad a Coffee Estate, with a short review 
of the reign of Kiug Coffee. Two others have been 
upon the growth aud maimfaotutii of tho 
tea very aocara'ely at.d clearly deecribed. They 
w nl up with 'he sensible aJvice to all to aali (or 
Ceylon tea, and see that they get it fine. Among 
the hundrods of families who re id these, tliose on tea 
at least seem tj bave attracted the attention of tbe 
Duchess of Buocleucb, who in autamn with the Duke 
iiiid thiir family reside at the teiutifu.ly situated 
Castle of Druiulanrig, c ose to Mr. Patou's home in 
Scoiand. AVe hid it on iudepcadent information that 
inquiries from the Oaetle soon were made for Ceylon 
Tea. Tho chanc«8 would be that it wonid be some 
blend and not pure Coylou tea that would be got. 
It ia a pity that some of our choicest tea could not 
Ihua be tried by Her Grace, who is a lady of the 
finest taste, and intimately associated with the 
higliost Coart circle>. Although Mr. I'alon has »o 
leave us in a fi w daj s, the tea planters muat feel ho ha.s 
cooe them good service, and that he has earned 
tomo claim to be stipplied with Ceylon tea for lha 
rest of hia life. 
Tl^A AND SCANDAL. 
The only new tea-na.mk I liavc to add to my lii» 
is that; of "Kin>;ella." egotibtioftHy BO v^^Ued by Kg. 
bolt Jviug of p«ddiu(^tou, 
