April 1, 1903.1 tHE TROPICAL AGRICtJLTURlST. 
657 
talaed at £-2 10s. From this mnat be deducted the 
cost of of ooUection aad preparation for infirk«t. 
which should not exceed 2'l cents per pound — equi- 
valent to 93. 2d. per acre, also picking charges, freight 
and wharfage. 
The average coat per acre per annum for upkeep 
being $19'80 or £1 Ws. 3?rf. sterling, it appears 
probable that after deducting allexpenses in connection 
with the preparation and marketing of the rubber, that 
the return during the sixth year will leave a small 
margin of profit, after allowing for upkeep, including 
thp Manager's salary and interest on the outlay. 
This, I am aware does not compare favourably with 
BOtne estimates which have been published, but it must 
be remembered th u this estimate is based on the 
assumption that there are only 108 trees per acre; 
had there been three times the number, the growth 
during the first four years would probably have been 
quite as good, and the yield trebled, but I anticipate 
a far better return from those trees when they attain 
the age of nine or ten years than from trees planted 
more closely. This however is a debatable point, and 
until there is some further opportunity of experi- 
menting in this direction it is useless to attempt to 
arrive at any definite conclusion. 
By the time the trees are six years old, 75 per cent 
should give an average yield of 12 ounces, which is 
equal to 56-2.5 pounds per acre. Valued at 2s. per 
pound, this gives a gross return of £5 12s Qd. per acre, 
so that after deducting the cost of harvesting and 
marketing there is every prospect of a fair return 
on the capital expended during the seventh year. 
By this time the cost of upkeep will have reached 
a very low figure, while the yield will increase year 
by year, and should average at least 150 pounds of 
rubber per acre by the time the trees are nine years 
old, and probably 100 pounds the following year. 
STANLEY ARDEN, 
Superintendent, Experime>ital Plantations, 
Federated Malay States. 
THE ALOE FIBRE INDUSTRY, 
Mr. C. J. Greengraas writes to us from Puttur, North 
Arcot : — As the plaintain fibre industry seems to be 
•ttiacting considerable attention just now, perhaps 
a few remarks on the agave or aloe fibre will not be out 
of place and be of interest to those who are going 
•erionsly into the matter. The varieties of this plant 
grown to any extent in India, besides those grown for 
purely ornamental purposes, are the three varieties 
A. viviyara, A. rigida, and the species known as the 
Blue Aloe, to be seen along the Madras Railway. The 
last named, though producing a fair percentage of 
fibre, cannot compare in this respect with the other 
two, A. vivipara and A rigida. The latter has the shorter 
leaf of the two, averaging about 2 ft., and as its name 
implies, is stiffer and harder to manipulate than the 
leaf of the former. The percentnges of fibre in both 
are about the same, of equal strength, but they differ 
considerably in length, one being only about half that 
of the other, an important feature in valuation. 
From my experience, I found that the A. vivipara it 
eminently the most suitable for fibre producing. I do 
not see any of this species about this part of India, 
but towards the West of India generally it is very 
common, and is used as fencing by the Southern 
Mihratta Riilway towards Poona and Belgaum. The 
plant resembles to a very great extent the West 
Indian variety, A. sisa lana, out of which the West 
Indies are now making fortunes, the only difference 
baing that the latter is somewhat shorter in leaf, and 
has of onlj the one terminal spike, and none along 
the edge of the leaf, as with the former. It is a very 
haidy plant and takes kindly to all varieties of soil 
and will thrive on l.iud considered too poor for agri- 
culture. When grou'u on rich soil the plant becomes 
somewhat longer in lej,f, but the percentage of fibre is 
less the leaf becoming "fat." A drier soil with an 
bdmixtore of mooru»i or sand ia best suited (or it 
cultivation, for though the leaves pvodiiool are not 
quite so long, aa otherwise, it produces more fibre 
and of a better quality. The plant requires o, little 
looking after for the first year, bnt after this is well 
able to take care of itself, producing an annual crop 
of leaves after about the third year, for about 12 
years, when, after it his produced its central stem and 
shed its bulbules, it decays and dies. The bulbulea 
spring up around the parent stem. 
From information gained of the methods of culti- 
vation, in America and the West Indies, of the A. 
sisalana it would aripear that the yield per acre is 
about one ton of fibre, allowing 10 ft. space bet- 
ween the plants. From my experience of the Indian 
variety I should say the same remarks apply to it. 
A sample consignment of fibre sent to Liverpool 
brought £11 per ton: the cost of manufacture freight 
etc , was about Rs 100 per ton. The leaves were pro- 
cured from plant giown as fencing along the S.M, 
Railway at Poona, and the method of extracting the 
fibre was the usual primitive one of rotting the leaves 
in water and beating out with wood'jn mallets. This 
injures the fibre considerably, and I have no doubt, 
worked with proper decorticating miohiues, the price 
realised would be much higher, running up, I should 
sav, to about £20 per ton. 
The advantages the aeave has over that of the 
plantain tree are many. It grows ou any waste land 
thousands of acres of which may be seen all over the 
Madras Presidency, and which may be had at a 
nominal rental. The plant gives an annual crop of 
leaves for about 12 years, where the plantain tree has 
to be cut down in toto for the extraction of the fibre 
and, moreover, requires less looking after. 
This industry has now been carried on in the West 
Indies and America for many years past, and large 
fortunes are being made nut of it in exporting the 
fibre to England and other parts of Europe. Cannot 
some of this money be converted into rupees instead 
of dollars? I commend the question to those whoia 
constant wail is the chronic poverty of India, and also 
to the Indian planters who now regularly meet at 
there Conference and sadly contemplate, with handi 
in empty pockets, the darkeningaspect of the planting 
horizon. — Madras Mail. 
LIFE IN THE ANNAMALAIS. 
COMPARISON WITH CEYLON. 
The planting region of the Aanamalai^ with the 
forest belts, Mr. SVindle thinks, is about. 
50,000 .\CRES IN EXTENT. 
and of it some 15,000 to 16,000 acres are in private han<l8 
the whole of this, however, is not yet opened up. It 
is possible that further allotments of land would have 
been purchased readily enough, but Crovernmnt stopped 
the further sale of land. The elevation is from 
3,300 feet to 4,000 feet. The country is well watered 
and the rainfall averages about 130 in a year, most 
of it falling during the south-west and north east 
monsoons, while good " blossom " showers fall in the 
intervening periods. The monsoon rains, as in Ceylon 
are heavy, but without that characteristic feature of 
Ceylon rains, viz,, wind, The Annamalis may truly be 
described as 
A WINDLESS COUNTRr. 
but, notwithstanding this, the weather is fine an 1 cool 
with an even temperature. The soil as stated before, 
is exceedingly rich, and analysis have bee i tske i by 
Mr. Kelway Bamber of Colombo ; Dr. VanGjvzel, 
Government Analyst, Madras; Mr. Hooper, Government 
chemist, C Ucutta ; Dr. Layman, Government choinisl 
Mysore, and others, the result of which showed chat 
the place was 
EXCELLENT FOR CDLTIVATION 
of products. I" this connection it is interesting to 
notethitilr. Winile wis the first to make up bat 
in the Aunimalais. He applial for 2,3d0 acres bf 
was allowed l.OOJ acres, tha miximiu graated ia 
Q,}Verumant to purchasers, and began opeuinj^ io 
