474 
THK  TROPICAl.  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan.  I,  1896 
PALMETTO  FIBRE. 
The  experiments  made  by  Dr.  Silas  L.  Loomis, 
of  Fernandina.  show  clearly  that  the  palmetto  fibre 
is  of  great  value  commercially  and  that  the  plant, 
which  not  long  ago  was  con.sidered  not  only  worth- 
less, but  a burden  to  the  land,  will  in  the  future  be 
of  great  importance.  It  will  almost,  if  not,  quite, 
equal  cotton  for  varied  uses  and  as  a source  of  wealth. 
Dr.  Loomis  divides  the  possible  application  of  the 
palmetto  fibre  into  articles  made  of  raw  material 
and  manufactured  articles. 
Of  the  raw  material  are  the  following: 
1st.  Roof  covering  and  thatching  for  the  sides 
of  building. 
2nd.  Brooms  such  as  are  in  use  wherever  tne 
palmetto  grows. 
3rd.  For  scrubbing  and  other  rough  uses  brushes 
are  also  made  by  binding  leaves  together,  and  are 
very  cheap,  easily  made  and  useful 
4th.  Hats  and  Baskets.— When  the  young  leaves 
of  different  grades  of  fineness  are  split  and  bleached 
one  has  an  article  which,  when  braided  in  different 
styles,  can  he  made  into  hats,  baskets  and  bonnets 
which  vary  in  price  from  10  cents  to  ft.5  and  even 
!|20  according  to  quality  and  decoration. 
5th  Food.— The  bud  of  cabbage  palmetto  from 
which  the  plant  derives  its  common  name  is  edible 
both  raw  and  cooked.  Its  taste  is  not  unlike  the 
°^6tlT°%iles.— Trunks  of  the  cabbage  palmetto  show 
a wonderful  durability  as  piles  in  under-water 
building.  Piles  in  the  wharves  of  Havana  of  this 
material  are  said  to  have  been  in  use  for  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  are  still  in  a good 
condition.  The  foundation  of  Fort  Moultrie  was  also 
built  of  palmetto.  . 
7th.  Potash— Ashes  of  the  palmetto  lixivated  and 
steamed  yield  a good  quantity  of  potash. 
.\KTICLES  MADE  FHOM  THE  SAP. 
1st  Tanning.— Tannic  acid  is  made  from  the  roots, 
the  trunk  and  leaves.  The  common  progress  of  tan- 
ning with  oak  or  hemlock  barks  always  adds  to  the 
weight  of  the  leather.  As  yet  no  method  has  been 
discovered  by  which,  in  tanning,  an  increase  of  weight 
can  be  avoided  except  by  the  use  of  tannic  acid. 
2nd.  Medical  Uses.— A certain  preparation  of  the 
oak  gives  a medicine  which  has  a happy  effect  when 
used  for  the  throat  and  breathing  organs. 
3rd  Coloring  Mat  er.— Through  simply  steaming 
the  clarified  sap  a known  dye  is  obtained  which 
dyes  a pretty  brown. 
AiriTCLES  MADE  FllOM  THE  FIBUE. 
1st.  Brushes.— The  rough,  stiff  fibres  at  the  point 
of  the  leaf  stalk  made  into  brushes  through  a special 
^^Ond^*  Mattresses.— The  leaf  is  split  to  a requi- 
site fineness,  curled,  then  ran  through  a peculiar 
machine,  pressed  into  bales  and  sent  to  the  mattress 
manufactory. 
3rd  Upholstery. -The  durability  of  the  fibre  as 
compared  with  other  materi  ils,  recommends  it  for 
upholstering  purposes.  The  long  tough  fibre  holds 
its  place  until  the  furniture  has  become  unusable 
4th  Cordage— The  long  tough  fibre  seems  very 
suitable  for  certain  grades  of  cordage 
5th  Paper-making.— T’he  different  grades  of  fine- 
ness which  wo  have  in  this  fibre  make  it  a vahi- 
abie  addition  to  the  article  to  be  selected  from  in 
manufacturing  paper.  It  is  suitable  for  all  qua- 
lities of  paper,  from  the  roughest  roof  paper  to  the 
finest  sort  of  bank  note  and  bonds. 
6th  Wood  Pulp.— The  great  solidity  of  palmetto 
wood  pulp  makes  it  of  more  value  than  any  other 
wood  pulp  It  is  to  he  recommended  to  maniifa;- 
turers  for  the  making  of  pails,  tuba,  caski,  globes, 
scrolls,  wheels,  etc.  , 
7th  Felt  —The  finer  fibres  felt  very  easily  and 
can  be  put  to  many  uses  viz  , in  the  place  of  wool 
felt  in  ship-building,  and  for  the  polishing  of  quartz 
and  other  stones.  With  a mixture  of  48  to  60  per 
cent  of  wool  it  can  compare  with  all  other  felts. 
8th  Stuffs  and  Carpet.s.- There  seems  to  be  no 
reason  why  the  fine  fibres  cannot  be  spun  and  woven 
into  stuffs  and  carpets  of  different  qualities. 
Oth.  Underground  wires  which  are  covered  with 
chemically  prepared  palmetto  fibre,  have  stood  un- 
usual tests  without  injury.  For  protecting  single  or 
small  wires  this  fibre  is  perhaps  the  best  covering 
th  it  has  yet  been  discovered. 
Many  of  the  methods  for  using  the  palmetto  des- 
cribed above  have  borne  the  test  of  actual  experiment. 
The  number  of  these  uses  grows  continually  larger. 
The  products  have  already  become  valuable  articles 
of  commerce.  So  soon  as  the  achievements  of  Dr. 
Loomis,  of  Fernandina,  have  become  kown,  capitalists 
in  many  of  the  favorable  points  of  Fi  irida  will 
hasten  to  build  factories  for  converting  the  palmetto 
into  useful  and  ornamental  articles  of  commerce. 
Then  the  hitherto  neglected  and  worthless  palmetto 
lands  will  become  of  high  value  to  the  country. — 
St.  Augustine  News. 
DRUG  REPORT. 
(Froiii  Chemist  and  Dnaigist.) 
l.uuduti,  iNoveinher  iSth. 
Caffeine — The  market  remains  tirm  at  last  week’.s 
(piutatioii  viz.  18s  to  IDs  per  16  according  to  (piantity  .and 
position.  The  malinfactiirers  are  very  busy,  and  do  not 
much  care  to  .sell  lor  some  inontlis  .ahead.  They  seem 
both  to  he  of  ojiinion  th.it,  if  any  change  is  made,  it 
will  he  towards  higher  rates.  It  is  .said  in  the  Ceylon 
p.ipers  that  there  has  of  Lite  heen  a very  strong  demand 
for  tea-flulf,  red  leaf,  and  tea-.sweepings  on  the  part  of 
dyers,  who  have  found  a profitable  use  for  these  articles 
in  their  industry. 
Cakuamo.ms— At  today’s  sales  the  supply  was  small. 
It  consisted  of  103  packages,  of  which  78  sold  at  steady 
prices— viz  : Ceyloii-iMy.sore,  medium  to  bold  round 
pale  2s  2d  to  2s  3d  per  Ih  ; smaller  size,  but  good 
appearance  Is  8d  ; small  to  medium,  fair  pale  to  brown- 
ish Is  4d  to  Is  Oil  per  11).  .Seed  realised  from  2s  to  2s 
2d  per  lb. 
Cinchona— At  today’s  drug-sales  iseveral  parcels  of 
South  .American  and  otlier  cinchona-barks  were  offered,' 
The  most  interesting  lot  was  one  of  12  serous,  recently 
arrived  from  Payta  (Peru),  which  sold,  with  good  com- 
petition at  luid  per  11>  for  fair  Loxa  quill  71  d for  mixed 
Iluanoco,  .mil  from  2Jd  to  ojd  per  lb  for  damaged  Una- 
noco.  .Si.Ktten  bales  of  Maracaibo  bark  realised  from  7jd 
to  Dll  for  sound  and  8d  per  Ih  lor  damaged.  Of  the  other 
lots  olfered,  very  little  w’as  sold. 
Vanilla— About  2,0(i0  lb  oll'ered  today  and  sold,  with 
good  eoinpetition,  at  steady  r.ites,  especially  for  .short 
he.ins. 
K.SSENTIAL  Oils- Of  Lenioiigrass  oil  2 cases  of  Winter’s 
brand  w'erc  taken  out,  while  5 cases  ol  Winter’s  Citronella 
were  also  bought  in  at  2‘Jd  per  oz.  Citronella  oil  is  again 
much  dearer  ; Is  Oil  per  lb  has  heen  paid  for  drums  on 
the  spot,  and  Is  7d  per  Ih  for  .small  parcels  in  drums, 
it  is  said  that  there  are  now  no  further  sellers 
below  Is  8il  per  Ih.  JiCmongrass  oil  is  also  firmer  ; 2d 
per  oz  has  been  paid  on  the  spot,  but  2 l-lOtns  d is 
asked.  For  shipment  2d  per  oz  e i f,  January-March,  is 
reported  paid. 
ticiNTNE— Tending  lower.  No  business  is  reported  this 
week,  hut  there  are  sellers  of  second-hand  Cerinau  hulk 
quinine  at  Is  Id  per  oz. 
Coca-leavf;s — 8 bales  of  damaged  but  otherwise  fair 
thin  Truxillo  leaves  .sold  without  reserve  at  lOil  per 
lb  to  lljd  per  lb  today.  .Sound  quality  was  bought  in 
at  Is  2d  per  lb,  and  good  Iluanoco  character  at  Is 
Cd  per  lb. 
Kola— About  id  per  lb  dearer,  with  a fair  demand.  Of 
39  packages,  0 solil  at  Is  to  Is  Id  for  fair  to  dqod 
West  Indian,  and  at  7d  per  lb  for  ordinary  Malta  gitto 
Flowf.u  Skkus  A.S  A Paint.— A Soutli  of 
India  coi  re.spondent  writes  : — 
“ I believe  we  have  made  a discovery  that  in  the 
hands  of  a clover  person  might  lead  to  a new  in- 
dustry, .diss h d gatliered  n few  seeds  of  that 
flame-coioured  spiked  flower — I forget  the  name  that 
grows  in  several  Nuwara  Eliya  gardens  (like  a sceptre) 
and  put  them  in  a little  wooden  box  7 or  8 months 
ago.  Today  on  opening  the  box  she  found  they  had 
all  melted  into  a thick  shiny  tarry  substance.  I 
tried  to  stick  two  sheets  of  tlio  Observer  together 
with  it,  but  it  is  not  so  much  like  glue  as  a sort  of 
paint.  1 have  polished  my  bo  ds  and  sli''>  s with  it 
and  they  look  beautiful.  Also  I have  | ,.nted  the 
little  white  wooden  box  witli  it  and  it  lo,  as  it  it 
liad  been  d.  ne  with  black  enamel  paint.  ’ W e are 
puzzled  to  know  whether  onr  correspondent  means 
a Lobelia  or  “ red  hot  poker  tlie  seed  of  the  latter, 
however,  wo  have  not  observed  as  lU  all  conspicuous. 
Mr.  Nook  will  bo  able  to  decide. 
