Abo.  1895.]  THk  TROPICAL  AGRICULT URIST 
$m]ti0$pomlence. 
Td  the  Editm\ 
GUINEA  FOWLS; 
DI'jAr  Sir,  Will  some  one  of  your  corresporid- 
ents  inform  me  (a)  Ldw  long  Guinea  fowls’  eg<-s 
take  to  hatch  out,  and  (6)  how  best  to  rear  the 
ENQUIRER; 
THE  EIHRES  OF  CEYLON  AND  THOSE 
NOAV  IN  DEMAND. 
London,  24th  May  1895. 
Dk.^r  Sir,  We  have  to  acknowledge  receipt 
of  Ceylon  Ob.serccr  of  27th  April  for  which  we 
tliank  you,  and  are  pre|)ared  to  give  anyone  who 
may  favour  us  with  inquiries,  all  the  information 
available  in  respect  to  Hbres  of  various  kinds. 
Ihe  experience  of  manufacturers  this  season 
leads  them  to  favour  iVo.  ^ and  No.  3 
6/a«  of  palm  leaf,”  A'c,  rather  than  the  No.  1 
Ramboo,  the  latter  being  found  brittle  in  work- 
o"  ® send  you  duplicate  samples  of 
Nos.  2 and  3 only.* 
The  small  quantity  of  No.  2 Pia^'  that  has 
so  far  come  to  Europe  has  realised  fabulous 
prices  which  it  would  be  misleading  to  quote  for 
later  supplies;  we  consider  there  tvill  be  a fairly  per- 
manent demand  for  this  and  similar  material- 
froin  bd  to  Is  per  lb.  apjiears  at  pre.sent  a safe 
“'"i‘'>„'‘\^‘c«rding  to  quality.  It  is  said  that 
l"ia  IS  a shaving  from  the  stem  of  the  “ Cab- 
baye  PalnC' (t)  (the  French  call  it  “ chou-chou”)  • 
but  we  are  unable  to  say  whether  this  state- 
ment IS  correct. 
Ao.  3 " Su2)crior  Raffia"  is  de.scribed  as  a 
.-diaving  from  the  wood  of  the  “ cryptomeria 
Japomea"  (?  -to  us  it  looks  more  like  tiie  skin 
ol  a |)alm  leaf, — .similar  but  superior  to  the 
ordinary  Rattia,  which  is  the  outer  skin  of  the 
leaf  of  the  Raphia  Palm.  The  latter  or  ordi- 
nary  Raffla  is  not  good  enough  for  our  iiresent 
rerjuirements,  the  pre.sent  value  of  the  latter  is 
about  0,1  iKjrlb.,  the  “Superior”  (our  No.  3) 
would  be  worth  about  double  this  price  if  here 
today  ; but  for  future  sbipments  somethiim  lower 
niay  have  to  be  accepted  say  from  bd  to9d  per  lb 
but  extra  good  even  quality  might  realise  con- 
siderablv  more.  AVe  think  the  demand  for  this 
S^£st  P^^r'i'-'^nent,  for  .several  seasons 
• ^ specimen  of  Rhea  Fibre" 
in  the  Bark  {or  Ribbon  as  it  is  called).*  The  ten- 
dency of  this  manufacture  is  to  work  on  the 
hbre  in  this  rough  state,  provided  it  can  be 
supplied  in  large  quantities  at  low  prices,  that 
IS,  in  hundreds  or  thou.sands  of  tons  at  from  £6 
to  18  per  ton  in  London.  It  is  said  large  con- 
tracts have  been  entered  into  at  £7  per  ton  or  less 
but  we_  doubt  tbe  im.ssibility  of  L^etting  supiilies  at 
this  price,  and  we  believe  that  if  any  important 
quantities  could  he  regularly  shippa,!  say  100 
to  ,)W  tons  per  month  at  .say  .£10  per  loii  cost 
ireiglit  and  Insurance  terms,  or  even  .at  a liltle 
con'i^’.  i'X" 
c^K’^f^en! 
mil-  sugwstion  that  likely 
uriSfsuc,X.a‘Siau'  -“"'■'“ctures 
107 
In  conclusion  we  would  ask  for  samples  bf 
H,®  tl'e  seeilpod  of 
tbe  talotropm  Ciyantea"  or  Mndar"  for 
which  a demand  appears  to  be  sprin-dnf  lip 
i -T  Kapok'^ 
is  wanted  in  fairly  clean  condition  at  4,1  i,cr  lb 
in  London. - Amours  truly,  ‘ * 
THIRKELL  & CO; 
AYe  referred  tbe  specimens  to  tbe  Frinciiial  of 
the  Agricultural  Sebool,  wbo  writes;— 
adiool  of  Agriculturej  Colombo^  June  13. 
Dear  >Sir,--I  am  returning  you  the  specimens 
fi-om  Messrs  Thirkell  A-  Co.  No.  5 silk  cotton 
trom  the  pod  of  calotropis  gigantea  (the  Sinha- 
le.se  wara)  and  No.  6 “ .Semul  ” or  tree  cotton, 
our  kapok  or  (as  it  called  by  tbe  natives) 
pulling  are  both  available  in  fairly  lar<m 
quantities  in  the  island.  The  former  as  a wd?d 
shiiib  IS  a good  deal  scattered  about  the  country, 
but  in  certain  localities  forms  rather  extensive 
thickets.  Still  its  collection  would  be  somewhat 
expensive.  It  has  been  mentioned  as  a paper  fibre 
and  a silk  substitute.  Dr.  AVatt  considers  that 
the  cultivation  of  the  plant  will  be  profitable, 
as  besides  the  floss  from  the  pod,  it  also  yields 
a bark  hbre  of  excellent  quality,  and  gutta* 
jiercha  from  the  sap. 
The  “tree-cotton”  is  a favourite  boundary 
tree  and  some  trade  in  the  cotton  is  at  present 
being  done  in  the  Matale  district,  where  it  ia 
very  comnionly  met  with. 
Trial  shipments  might  well  be  made  wdtli  both 
the  above  “cottons”^  in  order  to  make  sure 
wliether  exportation  to  London  will  pay  at  the 
prices  quoted.  * ^ 
Supeiior  Raffia,  described  as  a sliavin,'-  from 
tlie  wood  of  the  Cryptomeria  Japonica  would  be 
dilhcult  to  matcb  in  Ceylon.  It  does  not  .seem 
likely,  on  trial  wdth  .screw-pine  and  yucca,  that 
a substitute  could  be  found,  tbough  some  te- 
search  in  the  direction  of  the  .sedges  is  advisable. 
1 lie  length  of  tbe  sample  sent  is  nearly  4 feet  1 f 
1 la  (said  to  be  probably  from  a musa  or  arum) 
IS  more  likely  to  be  matched.  Here  is  a strip 
tiiken  at  rpdom  from  a bamboo  which  is  some- 
thing like  It. 
Rh®a  xye  camiot  .supply  yet,  but  ought  to  before 
b heard  of  land-iwospecting  for  rhea 
in  the  Panadure  district.  AVe  have  about  lOO 
plants  flourishing  here  (at  the  .school)  and  t 
hope  to  send  you  a sample  of  our  fibre  within  a 
immth.  Ihe  s.amijle  .sent  is  in  a very  rough  state. 
I wonder  what  Messrs.  Thirkell  cS.  would 
^ (Samsevieria)  and  Mum- 
imdnl  (Marsdenia).  The  latter  Dr.  AVatt  con. 
siders  far  superior  to  rhea.”  I enclose  two 
samples  from  these  siiecimeiis  I have. 
Pai.m,«. 
li 
Tb«6«  can  Jje  seen  at  our  office,— Ed,  T.A, 
pnllelin,  j\o.  Jf.i,  Scidcmbcr,  1S3>). 
. kaplna  Rtffa,  Mart.  The  midrib  of  the  leaf 
reaches  ;S5  to  45  feet  in 
Hr  hS;  ® r'es  for  ladies’  palanquins, 
ladders.  At.  Pbe  fibre  from  the  young  unopened 
learos  is  employed  as  stung,  and  is  largely  exported 
under  the  name  of  “ Raphia  (trass.” 
Aaiious  kinds  of  cloth,  which  are  known  as  “ Jabo.” 
JTiafo^  ‘Saudiadiaka,”  and  “ Sikinivbla,”  are 
• There  is  a considerable  trade  in  “ Kapok  ” sent  to 
Australia,  United  Kingdom  and  even  India:  the  exports 
equalled  2,‘2;!(i  cwt.  111  l.SOl,  but  have  fallen  off  greatly 
since. — Ed.  /.J.  ® ^ 
U'  bark  of  Gyrinops  AValla 
(bin.  which  may  perhaps  be  suitable  for  the 
Eumc  purpose  as  ” liaffia  ’ though  not  quits  lik@  it, 
