DMc. 1, 1897.] 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist^ 
439 
too readily available manure stimulates the tree 
to too heavy bearing and the natural reaction 
follows. For the cccouut palm the available plant 
food ought to be continuous. The quantity of 
potash for each tree has been increased and lightly. 
The mixture recommended is ; — 
Castor Cake ... 16 lb. 
Phosphate Powder... 3 „ 
Sulphate of lutash ... 2 „ 
which is equivalent to 
Mtrogen... ... 1'05 lb. 
Phosphoric Acid ... 1- „ 
Potash ... ... 1-18 „ 
This dose is to serve for two years, but if 
husks are removed for the estate 1 lb. of Sul- 
phate of Potash ought to be added in the year 
following the application. Not knowing, the 
price of Sulphate of Potash, Mr. Cochran can- 
not say whether it will be more economical to 
sell husks and buy and aj;p]y Sulphate of Potash 
or to burn the husks on the estate for the 
Potash they contain. Only few estates are so 
situated as to be able to sell their husks, and 
whether it is wise even for them to do so is 
a question, for according to Mr. Cochran’s 
own analy.'^is the ashes of husks contain besides 
Potash, Salt, Phosphoric Acid and Lime, all very 
valuable manuiiul agents. 
kainit. 
This is a Potash Salt that Mr. Cochran expects 
to yield very good results when applied to 
cocanuts : — 
COCONUT BUSKS. KAINIT. 
Potash ... 31% ... 12 8% 
Salt ... 38 „ ... 34- „ 
Magne.'^ia... 3'6„ ... 10- „ 
As the other products of the coconut tree 
do not contain so much Potash as the husk. 
Mr. Cochran is of opinion that Kainit wall be 
found to contain sufficient Pota,sh for the require- 
ments of the tree- As cue ton of Sulphate of 
Potash has ns much Potash as 4 tons of Kainit, 
the question is suggested as to whether it will 
be cheaper to apply the one or the other. Four 
tons of Kainit ha,'-', besides the Potash it contains, 
1'88 tons of common salt, aveiy necessary manuie 
for coconuts. To foim an opinion one requii'cs 
the relative prices of the tw'o manures. To price 
will have to be added transport of 3 tons extra 
and cost of application of same. Where transport 
is concerned, the more concentialed a manure 
is the better. No fear need be entertained about 
Kainit containing salt in excess of the actual 
requirements of the coconut tree as indicated by 
analy.ses, and no necessity will arise to balance it 
by the addition of Sulphate of Potash. The na- 
tural conditions under which the coconut palm 
grew’s, on the salt-saturated soil of the sea-shore 
and in an atmosphere heavily laden with salt, 
should not be forgotten. Besides, salt ])lays a 
very important part in altering the chemical and 
mechanical condition of soils. 

CALOTKOPIS GIGANTEA. 
This plant known in India as Madar or Mudar, 
and among the Sinhalese as U'am, is the subject 
of investigation by Messrs. Macdonald, Boyle & 
Co., the patentees of machinery for treating ramie 
fibre- The bast fibre of the wara has attracted 
considerable attention in the past, and has been 
often refer-red to as one of the best of eastern 
fibres. The difficulty so tar has been the inability 
to rapidly arrd cheapdy .separate and clear the 
fibre. If the ramie fibre machinery is found to 
do this as well as it has proved to do with 
ramie itself, a great success w'ill be attairred, 
and the wara which is a hardy weed in many 
parts should prove a dangerous rival to ramie. 
Mr. Liotard, who has devoted much time to 
the study of Indian fibres, has, however, ex- 
pressed a very unfavourable opinion with regard 
to Calotropiis fibre, and that on two grounds, 
(1) the small percentage of fibre, and (2^ the 
shortness of the fibre. Other observers, curiously 
enough, are loud in praise of it. The followrirg 
statement contains the results of Dr. Wight’s 
experiments as to the comparative strerrgth of 
the fibre : — 
Name of Fibre. 
AFeight in lb. the 
fibre can sustain. 
Coconut... 
224 
Hibiscus Cannabinus ... 
290 
Sansiviera Zeylanica ... 
316 
Cotton ... ... 
346 
Agave Americana 
362 
Crotalaria Juncea 
407 
Calotropis Gigantea ... 
562 
A decided recommendation for Calotropis is the 
fact that it is not particular about the soil in 
which it grows, arrd flourishes in poor dry sandy 
situatiorrs as is well seen alorrg the seaside 
railway line. It has been suggested that the 
plants should be employed to reclaim waste 
lands with pcor soil. 
In India the leaves and twigs are run ch souoht 
after as a manure for paddy-fields, and wet 
lands so manured are found to yield a much 
superior crop. Another use to w hich the herbage 
is put is to reclaim lands impi-egnated -with 
salt. The decomposition of the leaves somehow 
or other “kills the salt” as the natives say. 
8o that in growing the jjlant for fibre, if nothing 
but the fibre be removed off the land and the 
leaves and rejected parts of (he stem be returned 
to it, there should be little exhaustion of soil. 
As regards the value of the floss or silky coma 
got frorri the ped there has been much specu- 
lation, but Dr. Watt mentions that at the time 
of the last Indian and Colonial Exhibition held 
in London, he had an opportunity of discussing 
with manufacturers the prospects of Mudar floss 
and that a Lancashire spinner had declared (hat 
he had completely overcome the difficulties offered 
by this floss and was prepai'ed to purchase any 
quantity. The spinner referred to is said to 
have put some money into the hands of a 
missionary for the experimental cultivation of 
a few acres. Dr. AVatt reports that the results 
have been encouragirg, and hope is even held 
out that by careful selection of seed and attention 
to cultivation it might be possible to charge 
the character of the floss and improve its length. 
Mr. Cameron of Mysore states that a demand 
has lately arisen for Mudar floss, Messrs. Collyer 
& Co., of London, offering 5d. a lb. for it. 
In 1895 a letter from. Messr.s. Thirkell A Co.. 
London, addressed to the editor of the OAserm', 
was published in that paper, and there the 
