April 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
C61 
A COMPARATIVELY UNKNOWN FIBRE, 
making the mistake, no doubt, of treating it, • as so 
many did, on the same lines they manipulated fibres 
whose qualities they had been studying for years ; for- 
getting a fibre, such as Bamie, with a staple from 3 
to 12 inches, with a formation of structure prismatic 
in section, and wiih peculiar strength, many times iu 
excess of other textiles, fourteen times more absorbent 
than cotton, and other peculiarities so dilierent from 
the fibres they were accustomed to, required a 
little study and special treatment. Is it to be branded 
with failure as a material because it was not 
properly treated ? All the defects mentioned would 
have been overcome had Mr. Brown persevered as 
others have done. I am pleased to see it is admitted 
" it has all the gloss and appearance of the best fl .x." 
As to its not being 
AS ABSORBENT AS FLAX, 
I can only conclude it rests with the treatment 
as it is decidedly more absorbent, as is proved by its 
being an ideal surgical dressing. 
Now as to cambric, does this not bear out the 
argument I advance ? They tried to do impossibilities 
in so far as they expected to reach perfection at a 
rush, though their knowledge of flax had taken decades 
to acquire. 
BLEACHING PROPERTIES OF EAJIIE, 
Then again they expeot same bleaching results as with 
flax, Bamie bleaches splendidly if the proper treat- 
ment is applied. I am afraid poor Ramie is maligned 
because the first pioneers were in too great a hurry ; 
as well dub a new territory useless because the 
explorers found no roads, &o. iiivery new discovery 
requires years of patience and perseverance before 
it is brought to the acme of perfection. If Ramie 
had only a fiftieth part the attention that has been 
bestowed on other fibres it would be to-day top, a 
position it will obtain in the near future, I am pleased 
to see Mr. Brown concludes with a eulogy as to its 
" beauty and strength." 
Never had any industry or product a keener champion 
in its cause than ramie has m Mr, D. Edward s- 
Radclyffe. As he says in a letter to us elsewhere, he 
himself could now place 100 tons cf fibre per week, so 
that planters need have no fear of not finding a good 
demand and a ready market for their product. 
PLANTING IN BRITISH CENTRAL 
AFRICA. 
CHEAT ENTEBPRISE IN COTTON. 
The most remarkable feature in the planting indus- 
try in British Central Africa is the energetic way the 
work of preparing land for cotton growing is being 
taken ap by almost every firm and individual planter 
in the country. There has not being suoh activity 
shown in this way for many years, the direct cause 
being the advent of the railway now being constructed 
from the Zambesi to Blantyre, and the high prices at 
present prevailing for raw cotton, which offer the 
grower a better return for a smaller original outlay 
than coffee or other crops whicb have been grown iu 
the past in B. C. A. The low prices realized by recent 
coffee crops have also been the means of inducing the 
planters to go in as largely as possible for cotton 
growing. 
COTTON, THE FUTURE STAPLE INDUSTRY. 
Large acreages are being opened up in different oar! a 
of the country at present, and cotton growing bids" fair 
to be the staple industry in the future. The results 
from cotton may be regarded as satisfactory from most 
districts, although the short rainfall last season some- 
what reduced the expected output. The yield will 
vary, of course, iu tlie different districts, but it is 
believed that even the smallest yield will give a payinc 
crop. The best returns, no doubt, will be obtained 
from suitable parts of the plains aloDg the river banks 
— Upper and Lower Shire— where the Sea Island long 
staple cotton is grown, which always commands high 
prices at home, whereas the cotton grown iu the hills, 
though of good rough quality and now so high in price 
at home for mixing with wool, gives a somewhat 
smaller return. In fact, the best results could only be 
obtained on the river plains by using modern machi- 
nery for cultivation, and this could also be used for 
the purpose of irrigation in the event of rainfall being 
insuflicient. 
JI.iCHI.NERY vs. LABOURERS. 
Labour, though largely increasing, for working 
plantations has always been short during the rains, and 
will always remain so, as each native has his own 
garden to attend to this season of the year. The 
introduction of machinery for cultivation would be 
a wise step now, and will be absolutely necessary later 
on when larger areas are brought under cultivation. 
Labourers for light work, such as harvesting crops, 
can always be obtained, but to develop the agricultural 
resources of the country to the fullest extent, labour- 
saving machinery must be introduced for use during 
the rains when labour is scarce. 
LARGE AREAS FOE COTTON. 
It is still too early to state, with any degree of 
accuracy, the area which will be put under cotton 
during the next few months by different planting firms 
or individual planters, but it is estimated that the 
acreage will exceed 10,000 acres. The British Central 
Africa Company, Limited, alone will have considerably 
over 2,003 acres of land opened this year under cotton, 
and in addition to this there will be about 1,000 acres, 
opened previously, also under cotton ; the larger pro- 
portion of the new lan;3 is in theLuchenza district. 
Large districts are atill under coffee, chillies, and 
tobacco, but practically all energies are now devoted to 
opening up and preparing land for cotton. The seed 
to plant up this acreage is being imported from 
Egypt and America. This importation was rendered 
neceesary, as local supplies were quite insnfiioient 
to meet the demand. 
A large number of gins of the most modern types are 
being sent out, with power presses, to gin the cotton 
as quickly as it is gathered early next year. Steam 
power has become necessary, as it would be impossible 
to work the expected crop by hand gins. 
LOCUSTS ABE TROUBLESOME. 
British Central Africa is stil'. infested with swarms 
of locusts, and these did considerable damage to 
cotton in one or two places. The question of devising 
means for their destruction is now engaging the 
attention of all, and it is hoped that the result may 
be satisfactory. 
The resources of British Central Africa, as far as 
providing land for cotton growing is concerned, are 
practically unlimited, and the British Central Africa 
Company, Ltd., alone holds thousands of acres 
suitable for this crop awaiting development. 
According to a recent announcement, produce from 
the country is allowed duly free into the Transvaal, 
and this will help planters to dispose of tobacco, coff'ee, 
and probably maize to advantage. Cotton, as far as 
one can judge at present, says the " African World," 
certainly ofl'ers better prospects than any other crop, 
and, with a railway to carry produce instead of the 
present system of porters, should prove a great success 
in British Central Africa. 
♦ 
COTTON EXPERIMENTS IN BEHAR. 
Mr. Jlollison, Inspector-General of Agriculture, 
has prepared, at the Lieutenant-Governor's request, 
the following note, showing the results of recent 
experiments iu cotton, the experiments he intends 
now to carry out, and the arrangements made to 
supply seed to planters and cultivators who are 
■williug to co operate with him in this important 
work. The Lieutenant-Governor has had the note 
printed for circulation, in the hope that Mr. Mollisoa 
may secure much valuable assistance from the co- 
operation he desires. > 
