438 
Sujpvlement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Dec, 1, Vitt. 
prices for fattening purposes. If retained, the 
animals will fatten readily. Under present con- 
ditions the system of selling deteriorated cows tends 
to depreciate the value of real good milkers and 
perpetuate the breed of inferior dairy cattle. 
Having spayed many thousands, says Mr. Hut- 
chison, I can speak from practical experience. I 
have spayed stock from six months to seven years 
old and over on an average 3 50 per day, day 
after day, . . . with a loss of 2^ per cent in hot 
and cold weather all the year round. This, we 
must admit, is pretty extensive experience. 
EAPOK. 
[The following paper on one of our commonest 
trees, too little appreciated locally, is worthy of 
perusel by landowners and planters generally. 
The native names for the tree are ''pulun" and 
"imbul," and the word "Kapok" (said to be 
a Malayan name) should not be confounded with 
" Kapu " the local name for spinning Cotton 
derived from varieties of Gossypium. We take 
over the article from the Queensland Agri- 
culturist. — Ed, a. M,'\ 
Kapok, so well known as a soft material largely 
used in the upholstering trade for stuffing chairs, 
&c., and equally largely employed for stuffing 
mattrasses and pillows as a substitute for 
feathers, hair, &c., is the product of a kind of 
CDtton-tree {BojKbax pentandrum or Eriodendron 
aufractuosm), much grown in Java of late years 
for the sake of the fruits which produce the fibre, 
which meets with a ready sale in European 
markets in large quantities. Dr. James Neish, 
M-D., contributes an interesting article on this 
product, rdapted from the Journal d' Agriculture 
Tropicale to the Journal of the Jamaica Agricul- 
tural Society. Amongst other things we read 
that of late years the journals and reviews of 
Java have on different occasions shown the profit 
which could be drawn from this tree. A very 
good article, written with this object, appeared 
in the Indische Mercuur, in 1901 ; and this article 
has certainly not been without influence on the 
constantly increasing cultivation of kapok in 
Java. Here are some extracts : — "Even before 
the fruits of the kapok have arrived at maturity, 
many Chinamen seek to get hold of them, if need 
be, by buying them. The importation into China 
must be eiiceedingly large, judging by the 
demand which is made for it in that country.- 
About 10 cents is paid for 100 dried fruits. A 
Dutch cent is the hundredth part of a florin ; 
accordingly, the cent is worth one-half an 
American cent or about one farthing. An adult 
cotton-tree, growing from a cutting, yields full 
5,000 fruit.«. Trees grown from seedlings 
produce more. This tree grows rapidly, and 
begins to bear from the second year. It requires 
no attention, and grows even on very poor soils, 
and is not exacting as regards water." An ener- 
getic Chinaman in Solo (Java) said, "If I 
possessed a concession, I would plant cotton-trees 
on it on a large scale, and it would be seen if I 
did not draw more profit therefrom than those 
•ycho spend thousauds of florins on the ordinary 
cultivations, the expenses of which consume all 
the profits. If cotton-trees were planted on the 
bare mountains of the South, I am certain that 
the operation would be advantageous." These 
words were brought to the attention of the 
planters. In 1888, 1889, and in 1690, the impor- 
tations into China must have been considerable, 
but the Chinese kept the matter secret for they 
fear the competition of European merchants. 
At the present time there are in the central 
parts of Java some fifty plantations whereon the 
kapok is harvested as an accessory product, on 
some even as the principal product, whilst ten 
years ago five only gave attention to it. 
According to official figures, the exportation 
from Java rose from 1,888,639 kilos to 2,777,467 
kilos in 1896. Of 38,586 bales which were 
exported in 1896, 25,161 were sent to Holland, 
8,169 to Australia, 745 to China, and 216 to 
America. 
The yield of kapok per tree per annum, it is 
said, varies from one to 50 kilos (2 lb. 3j oz. 
to 111 lb.) (According to Dr. Warren de la Rue, 
the kilogramme is equivalent to 2*2046213 lb, of 
7,000 grains ; usually the kilo is reckoned at 
2 lb. 3^ oz. avoi.) Dr. Greshoff has ascertained 
the average weight of the dry fruit to be 26 
grammes and 80 centigrammes ; the fluff or kapok 
weighed 4 grammes 20 centigrammes ; the seeds 
(to the number of 175) 10 grammes 20 centigram- 
mes ; the pod weighed 10 grammes 30 centi- 
grammes, and the stalk weighed 1 gramme 20 
centigrammes. 
In the cleaning of kapok in Java, use is made 
at the present time of small iron mills, each 
giving two piculs of cleaned merchandise for a 
day's work. (The picul in Java weighs 61 kilos 
220 grammes, about 137 lb.) Each mill 
employs about four women to receive the mer- 
chandise, to fill up the bags and carry them into 
the "godowns" or storehouses, where they are 
pressed into bales. (Generally, the bales weigh 
37 kilos for the cleaned kapok and 80 kilos for 
that which is not cleaned.) Improved macliines 
for cleaning kapok are made by Thomas Barra- 
clough, of 20, Bucklersbury, London. It should 
be remembered that for export it is not advisable 
to press the kapok excessively ; this would impair 
the elasticity of the fibres. 
In 1898 the quotations in Holland were — Extra 
cleaned, 395 cents to 36 cents the half-kilo (nomi- 
nally, 1 lb.) (lOd. to 9d, per lb.). Good cleaned, 
31 to 33 cents (7|d. to 8|d.). Cleaned, second 
quality, 26 to 20 cents (S^d. to 5d,). Good un- 
cleaned, 8^ to 9^ cents (2|d. to 2fd.). Ordinary, 
uncleaned, 6 to 7 cents (l|d. to Ifd.) 
In Java the cotton-tree furnishes an important 
by-product in the seeds, which are purchased by 
the Chinese with a view to extract the oil, which 
is used in the adulteration of the oil of peanuts. 
At Tegal and Kediri the preparation of this oil 
is carried on at some tobacco plantations. The 
proprietor of Wedari oil factory (in Japan) bought 
from the natives in 1895, about 4,000,000 of 
kapok fruits, and obtained from them 530 piculs 
of cleaned kapok and 1,000 piculs of seeds, which, 
added to 8,000 other piculs bought iiota. tb9 
