754 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
[May I, 1891 . 
MEMORANDUM ON THE PRODUCTION 
AND DISTRIBUTION OF SILVER. 
As it is now practically certain that no fresh 
Silver Legislation will be enacted by the present 
Congress, and as the new Houee of Representatives 
is not likely to be called together (unless for special 
business) till the 4th December next, our friends who 
are interested in Indian Exchange may like to see 
the following estimate of the Statistical Position of 
Silver I— 
The following therefore is our Estimate for the 
current year’s Distribution, assuming as in Table 1 
that the total production is taken at 145,000,000 
ounces viz : — „ 
Table HI. Ounoes* 
Peoduction of Silver (in ounces.) 
Table I 
1887 
1888 
1889 
United 
States 
41.260.000 
45.780.000 
60,000,000 
Rest of the 
World 
54,917,376 
64,292,140 
75,988.671 
Total 
96,177,375 
110,072,140 
125,988,671 
136.000. 000 
145.000. 000 
■Sfl890 ... 53,000,000 ... 83,000,000 
I I 1891 ... 57,000,000 ... 88 , 000,000 
00 I 
^The estimates for 1890 and 1891 are, of course, to 
gQjjjQ extent guesswork, but it will be seen that the 
ratio of increase has been put very considerably below 
that of the preceding years, though the stimulus to pro- 
duction afforded by the higher prices recently current 
would seem to justify very much larger estimates For 
instance a Dalziel telegram from New York to The 
Tines yesterday estimates the United .States production 
for 1591 at 65 million ounces, against our estimate 
above of only 57 millions. 
Disposition of Silver. 
The following figures are (approximately) summarized 
from the Report of the United States Treasury to 
Congress in December 1889, and refer to the previous 
year (1888). 
Table II. 
United ScaL s Coinage and Oertific ites 
Arts and Manufactures (for all the V7orld, 
Soetbeer’s Estimate) ... ■ 
Subsidiary Coinage, Europe and S. America 
Sundries (unaccounted for) 
Chiua, India, and the Bast ... 
Ounces 
26,000,000 
16,000,000 
17.000. 000 
6,000,000 
45.000. 000 
Total for 1888 (as per Table I)... 110,000,000 
Present Position. 
No more recent figures than the above as to the 
Distribution of Silver are obtainable, but we think it 
may be foir’.y assumed that the Consumption for Arts, 
Manufactures, Subsidiary Coinage and Sundries (un- 
accounted for) will be no more now than it was in 1888, 
looking to the rise in price. The purchases by the 
United States Treasury have however increased from 
26 million to 54 million ounces, in consequence of last 
year’s legislation. 
United States Treasury Purchases... 
Arts, Manufactures, Subsidiary Coin- 
ageaud Sundries (unaccounted for) 
as in 1888... 
Leaving for consumption by India and 
the East ... 
54,000,000 
39.000. 000 
52.000. 000 
145,000,000 
From the above it would seem that India and the 
East will have to absorl) (even outlie exlrtintly moderate 
Estimate of production given in Table I ) 52,000,000 
ounces in 1891 against 45,000,000 in 1888, a.lliougb 
Silver and the Easleru Excliaugos are now higher than 
they were then. Moreover there is n,,w a large acenmu- 
luted Slock of Silver in the United States e.stimatcd 
at about 15 million ounces, which must also be d s- 
poBod of. 'J’hese considerations seem to indicate tliat 
.Silver and Exebatigo must come down considerably in 
order to admit of tho additional absorption. 
On the other hand it must ha borne in mind that 
^he now House of RopreBOutatives which moots in 
December next is very differently constituted to the 
present one ; they are largely pledged in favour of 
Silver Legislation, and the expectation that they will 
pass some strong enactment in favour of Silver is 
likely to sustain the price of it speculatively. 
The following figures show the shipment of Gold 
and Silver from Europe to India and the amount of 
Council Bills for the last 6 years:— 
Council Bills.* 
Table IV. Gold Silver £ R. 
1886 ... 819,201 7,044,477 10,292,692 13,53,25,369 
1887 ... 1,984,739 6,577,748 12,136,279 16.70,03,150 
1888 ... 1,308,232 5,854,533 15,358.557 21,81,23,993 
1889 ... 2,103,381 8,189,210 14,262,859 20,89,91,221 
1890 ... 3,283,375 8,825,771 15,474,496 22,41,86,638 
£9,498,931 £35,924,739£67.524,903R95.36.30,371 
* For the Financial Year, viz. : — 1st April — 31st 
March. 
The steadily increasing shipments of Gold to India 
constitute a noteworthy feature, as tending to decrease 
her balance of trade and consequent ability to absorb 
Silver. 
ARBUTHNOT, LATHAM & Co. 
33, Great St. Helen’s, London, 26th Feb. 1891. 
PINEAPPLE FIBRE IN THE PHILIPPINES. 
Mr. F. W. van Ecdeu,' director of the Colonial Mu- 
seum sends us the following for publication. Mr. 
P. K. A, Meerkamp van Embueu, our Consul at Ma- 
nilla who seat us some fine samples of Pineapple fibre 
last jear, which was prepared at Serson, now furnishes 
us with an account of the mode of its preparation. 
The Ananas which was inttoiuced here from Mexico 
about 300 years ago, is named in Spanish “ Piiia ” 
(pronounced “ Pienya ”) aud has no other name in the 
native languages or dialects of the Philippines. 
The plant bears fruit generally in tue second year, 
sometimes in the third year, shortly before this takes 
place, the Laves which, by that time have attained 
their full growth, frequently a metre in length are 
out, and their preparation begins immediately. 
Should the fruits be once formed, the quantity of 
the leaves deteriorates. 
The preparation is simple to the last degree, the 
leaves are worked one by one, being laid on a smooth 
wooden plank, and scraped with a little earthen pan 
or dish until the fibre ou one side of the leaf becomes 
exposed and can be carefully drawn out. The leaf is 
then turned over, in order that the fibre may be detached 
in the same way from the opposite side. 
For removing the pulpy matter from the leaves a 
piece of coarse china pottery is commonly used, as 
good w'ell made pottery would be too smooth. The 
fibre from the under side of the leaf is of finer quality 
and therefore of more value than that from the upper 
side. There now remains nothing more to be done than 
to wash the fibre and to bleach it in the sun until it 
becomes sufficiently white, though the color always has 
a yellow tinge. 
Before being woven the ends of the threads are tied 
together, the knot is so carefully made, that it requires 
very close examination to discover it. Occasionally the 
ends of the fibres are united by means of starch, but 
this practice cannot be recommended, and is out 
little used because tho fibres thus joined are liable to 
loosen. — Translated from the Indische Mercuur of the 
2Lt February 1891, by J. D. Y. 
[Note by Translator. —It is from this fibre that the 
beautifully fine “ grasscloth ” is made. The Ananas 
grows so well in Oeylouaud most tropical countries that 
is seems strange that the Philippines seem to retain a 
natural monopoly of the very flue "grass-cloth.” It 
used to be brought to Oeylou but I have not seen it 
for many years. It is a pity the Consul Meerkamp 
van Embdeu has not given any particulars as to the 
kind of Auauas which furnishes the fine fibre. Can 
you tell your readers whether it grows in Cejlouornot, 
every variety that has been introduced into this island 
seems 0 flourish wonderfully well?] 
