th e tropical  agriculturist. 
6i 
July  i,  1892.] 
to  those  who  could  take  it  and  preferred  it  to  tea 
or  coffee,  there  was  no  doubt  that  the  modern  pre- 
paration of  it  now  under  consideration  was  of  very 
great  value.  It  had  none  of  the  objections  of  so- 
called  soluble  cocoas,  and  yet  was  very  soluble  and 
nutritious,  being  strongly  recommended  by  the  medical 
profession  in  cases  of  debility  as  a partial  substitute 
for  tea  and  coffee.  The  average  quantity  of  ash  of 
raw  cocoa  was  from  2-5  to  3'2  per  cent.,  of  fat-re- 
duced cocoa  from  4 to  5 per  cent.,  and  of  cocoa 
treated  with  alkali  8 per  cent.,  the  bulk  of  the  latter- 
being  potash  and  phosphoric  acid. 
As  compared  with  tea  and  coffee,  cocoa  was  defi- 
cient in  aromatic  principles,  and  the  alkaloids  were 
not  the  same  in  amount,  and  did  not  exert  a similar- 
stimulating  effect  upon  the  central  nervous  system. 
On  the  other  hand,  however,  it  was  far-  richer  in 
nutritious  properties — fat,  albumen,  starch,  and 
mineral  salts.  When  deprived  of  the  fat,  which  was 
liable  to  be  irritating  in  the  stomach — as  fat  was  not 
digested  until  it  had  passed  on,  and  met  with  the 
secretions  of  the  liver  and  pancreas, — cocoa  yielded 
a bland,  easily  digested,  and  slightly  stimulating 
beverage,  generally  free  from  any  subsequent  un- 
pleasant effects.  It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  cocoa 
was  not  only  used  as  a drink.  As  a sweetmeat  for 
young  and  old  it  was  perfectly  safe  to  state  that  it 
was  an  improvement  on  the  use  of  an  inordinate 
quantity  of  sugar,  and  the  use  of  cocoa  as  a sweet 
in  the  form  of  chocolate  or  creams  was  to  be  en- 
couraged rather  than  condemned.  It  nourished  ra- 
ther than  fattened,  and  as  an  article  of  diet,  although 
expensive,  it  was  wholesome.  Mr.  Bannister  then 
proceeded  to  deal  with  the  various  forms  chocolate 
took  as  a sweetmeat,  saying  that  it  was  found  ne- 
cessary to  add  fat  to  it  in  order  to  ^accommodate  it 
to  the  manufacture  of  creams.  The  fat  used  was  the 
cocoa  fat  or  butter  obtained  from  the  cocoa  used 
for  other  purposes.  The  creams  were  composed  of 
sugar  melted  up  with  glucose  and  flavoured.  Prom 
the  trade  lists  he  had  studied,  he  had  found  that 
one  manufacturer  enumerated  221  assortments  of 
chocolate  sweetmeats,  another  244,  and  yet  another 
253.  The  increase  in  consumption  during  the  past 
few  years  had  been  considerable,  and,  without  taking 
too  sanguine  a view,  they  might  expect  the  increase 
to  steadily  progress  on  account  of  the  attactive  and 
pleasant  forms  in  which  cocoa  could  be  obtained, 
either  as  a drink  or  a food. — Grocer. 
OIL  PALM  FIBRE. 
[Eheis  guineensis,  Jacq.) 
The  African  oil  palm  is  probably  the  most  valu- 
able of  the  indigenous  plants  of  West  Africa.  From 
the  pericarp  of  the  fruits  of  the  well-known  palm  oil 
is  prepared,  while  from  the  kernel  of  the  nuts 
another  kind  of  oil  is  extracted,  scarcely  less  exten- 
sively used.  According  to  Sir  Alfred  Moloney 
[Forestry  of  West  Africa,  p.  57),  “ although  the  palm  oil 
industry  has  existed  since  1790,  if  not  before,  the 
valuable  palm  kernels  on  the  Gold  Coast  did  not 
attract  attention  until  1842  or  1843,  when  also  the 
f round-nut  industry,  at  Last  in  the  Gambia,  had  its 
irth.”  The  palm  oil  received  in  this  country  during 
the  year  1885  amounted  to  872,342  cwt.,  of  the  value 
of  1,172,862/.  The  palm  kernels  received  during  the 
same  period  amounted  to  34,507  tons,  of  the  value 
of  406,856/.  We  have  therefore  two  important  pro- 
ducts from  the  African  oil  palm,  the  value  of  the 
quantity  reaching  the  United  Kingdom  amounting  to 
about  one  million  and  a half  sterling  yearly.  To  these 
we  have  now  to  add  a third  industry  connected 
with  the  production  of  fibre  from  the  leaves.  It  may, 
however,  be  mentioned  that  the  immediate  prospects 
of  this  new  industry  are  not  very  hopeful.  The  fibre 
is  extracted  in  a laborious  manner  by  the  natives, 
and  it  is  not,  as  yet,  produced  in  commercial 
quantities. 
Its  extensive  use  locally  for  fishing  lines  and  other- 
purposes  requiring  great  strength  shows  that  it  is 
one  of  the  most  valuable  and  lasting  of  tropical 
fibres.  Very  little,  if  anything,  has  hitherto  been 
published  respecting  this  fibre.  Kew  is  indebted  for 
the  first  specimens  received  for  the  Museums  of 
Economic  Botany  to  Mr.  George  Arbuthnot  Moore, 
Managing  Director  of  the  Palma  Trading  Company, 
Liverpool.  These  were  received  in  June  1891.  Since 
that  time  a very  complete  series  of  specimens  illus- 
trating the  method  of  extracting  the  fibre  with  samples 
of  twine  aud  fishing  lines  have  been  received  from 
the  Government  of  Lagos.  A small  specimen  was 
received  from  Mr.  Scott-Elliot  from  Sierra  Leone, 
January  1892.— Kew  Bulletin. 
^ 
CULTIVATION  OF  RAMIE  IN  MEXICO. 
In  a recent  report  by  the  United  States  Secretary 
of  Legiation  at  Mexico,  it  is  stated  that  Mexico  offers 
special  advantages  for  the  successful  cultivation  of 
the  ramie  plant.  The  states  of  Yera  Cruz  is  ad- 
mirably adapted — from  its  frequent  rains  and  facili- 
ties of  irrigation  in  the  zone  which  extends  from 
Jalapa  to  Tuxtupec,  passing  through  Cordoba — to  the 
cultivation  of  ramie ; and,  in  addition,  the  railways 
penetrating  these  districts  offer  ready  means  of  tran- 
sportation to  market.  After  its  second  year  the  plant 
can,  as  it  does  in  Venezuela,  yield  four,  five,  and 
even  six  cuttings  a year.  Both  white  and  green 
ramie  can  be  cultivated  in  Mexico,  but  the  white  is 
generally  preferred,  as  it  is  very  robust,  and  yields 
a superior  fibre  to  the  green  ramie.  White  ramie 
comes  from  China.  The  leaf  underneath  is  white, 
veined  with  green,  and  the  leaves  and  stems  are 
very  hardy.  Owing  to  this  hardiness  the  plant  will 
grow  in  almost  any  climate,  but,  neverthless,  has  a 
predileetion  for  a sandy,  light  soil,  with  a well- 
drained  undersoil,  as  the  roots  rot  in  swampy  ground. 
Soil  impregnated  with  saltpetre  is  also  prejudicial  to 
its  development.  In  order  that  the  stems  may  grow 
straight  and  narrow,  without  lateral  branches,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  plants  should  be  crowded  together-, 
having  a space  of  not  more  than  half-a-yard  between 
each ; the  stems  will  then  give  a much  superior 
fibre.  After  the  second  year  weeding  is  no  longer 
necessary,  as  the  multiplicity  of  roots  does  not  al- 
low the  growth  of  any  parasite.  Once  started, 
the  plants  will  last  for  years  without  being  renewed. 
It  is  stated  that  the  plants  will  live  for  more  than 
fifty  years,  but  to  obtain  this  result  an  annual 
manuring  is  indispensable.  In  spite  of  the  sssertion 
of  some  cultivators  that  the  fallen  leaves  suffice  to 
manure  the  land,  experience  shows  that  the  best 
results  are  obtained  by  using  manure.  Again,  the 
leaves  may  be  used  for  making  paper,  as  is  done  in 
China.  The  cultivation  of  ramie  requires  but  a small 
outlay  and  very  slight  labour,  and,  as  the  harvests 
are  numerous  when  once  the  plants  are  fairly  started, 
the  return  is  prompt.  It  is  expected  that  weaving 
and  spinning  mills  will  be  established  in  Mexico  for 
making  use  of  the  fibre,  but  it  is  thought  that  the 
richness  of  the  soil  will  prove  such  that  the 
production  of  raw  meterial  with  far  exceed  their 
capacity  of  consumption,  and  that  Europe  will  take 
any  such  superfluity,  in  preference  even  to  henne- 
quin.  Mr.  Whitehouse  states  that  none  of  the 
machines  at  present  in  use  for  decortication  give 
satisfactory  results ; all  are  too  expensive,  and  none 
do  sufficient  work. — Journal  of  the  Society  of  Arts. 
SOURCES  OF  RUBBER  SUPPLY. 
Para  rubber  is  the  produce  of  Berea  brasiliensis, 
Muell.  Arg.,  a tree  belonging  to  the  natural  order 
Euphorbiaceoe.  The  rubber  is  obtained  from  incisions 
cut  through  the  bark,  from  whence  the  sap  trickles 
into  small  bowls  and  is  finally  cured  by  being  ladled 
on  to  a paddle-shaped  implement  and  held  over  a 
stove  in  which  Urucury  Nuts  ( Maximiliana  regia)  are 
burnt  as  the  fuel.  In  Museum  No.  1,  Case  94,  will 
be  found  a fine  series  of  articles  used  in  collecting 
and  preparing  this  rubber  for  export,  and  also 
numerous  samples  of  the  rubber.  In  1891  the  esti- 
mated export  of  Para  rubber  amounted  to  17,700  tons, 
of  which  6000  tons  were  imported  into  this  country. 
