472 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
I Jan. I, 1S98. 
I do believe, that the new model of the Gem Se- 
parator will be good to a certain extent, but there 
are many other things to look into. 
Generally gravels where gems are contained are not 
found on the surface, in many instances they must be dog 
several fathoms deep before they come over the gravels 
or (illama) as it is called by the native diggers, then 
the quantity of gravels secured by that pit, will 
be ten or twelve tons at most, then a fresh pit 
must be dug out, with this operation it will pass a 
month before you can secure a day’s work for the 
Separator. 
These given details are only preliminary. Now 
comes the trouble. 
The people who go to dig or to desintegrate the 
gravels, are experienced diggers, the greatest villains 
and thieves in creation. After having broken the 
gravels they have to fill up the baskets and they are from 
hand to hand and are thrown out and put in a heap. And 
then they are filled up again and sent to the washing 
macnine. After having passed so many hands, 
if a good gem had escaped detection from the 
coolies, youcansay that it is a miracle. I am sure of this, 
because, I, and others employed under me, 
were watching very carefully, and many valuable gems 
were stolen by the coolies employed. Then it comes 
that, that the most of the gemming lands are paddy 
fields, where heavy loads cannot be taken across as 
the soil is swampy. Gemming operations in Ceylon are 
not an enterprize for Europeans as the facts have 
shown not long ago, that one after another, all the 
Gemming Companies have failed with heavy losses. 
It is true that natives are gemming here and there; 
first of all they know all the tricks as to how a gem 
can be robbed ; second, they have many trustworthy 
relatives to watch ; third they have very little ex- 
penses to meet and in many instances they only 
feed the coolies. When they come across some 
gems, then they pay something to the coolies and 
the rest is pocketted by the Ealahamy or Locoo 
Mahatmeya. 
These are facts, and not made-up stories. 
The Prospecting Company may turn out a success. 
To do so, first of all their agents must learn the native 
language; second, they must acquire experience, then it 
will give a good return to the Company ; but I 
fear that by elapsing such a long time — which means 
money — it will be too late. 
The Company will be successful at the very 
beginning if they engage a trustworthy and experi- 
enced man — not otherwise. 
If I had not given up Gemming and come to 
Colombo, to reside here, and carry out my 
profession as a watch-maker, I would have been 
always hardup. Many who know me, not only in 
the Southern Province, but in many other parts of 
the island, will confirm that this is nothing else 
but the very truth. 
I hope that the new Company will overcome all 
these difficulties and will be a successful one, but 
no one can assure me that they will not fail. 
A. De DOMTNICO. 
THE FIBRE OF CALOT-ROPIS 
GIGANTEA:-WARA OR YERUKKALAL 
Vannarponne, Jaffna, Nov. 17. 
Sir, — On reading in Observer of the 2nd November 
regarding Calotropis rjiqantea — Wara (Sinhalese),yerut« 
kalai (Tamil) cultivation and its use as a fibre plant, 
certain suggestions offered themselves to my mind 
which I wish to communicate to your journal and 
thereby make known to the planting community who 
are interested in its cultivation. Some six years ago 
Mr. F. A. Fairlie was deputed by the Director of a 
Manchester firm to see whether Wara cultivation 
could be carried on profitably in Ceylon. I then 
accompanied him through the Wanny district and 
we satisfied ourselves that the plant grows wild and 
that with proper management it will thrive well in 
the lowcountry. 
Mr. Fairlie had to leave for England owing 
to urgent private aSairs and nothing could 
be done further than to try the experiment on a 
small scale on “Temple Bar,” Sir Graeme Elphin- 
stone’s estate on Pallai, which was then under my 
management. The cotton produced on the estate 
was sent to England and was pronounced excellent. 
I have seen fishermen getting the fibre and making 
ropes out of it for their nets. Had even Sir 
Graeme been in Ceylon at the time, I am sure the 
Wara cultivation would now be an accomplished fact 
and in full swing in the lowcountry. 
The cotton obtained from the plant is of greater 
value than the fibre which must be considered as 
of secondary importance. It is of very fine qnalitv 
and is much in demand and will find a ready market. 
I send you a sample of the cotton which you will 
find on inspection of the quality I describe.* It adds 
an increased interest in the cultivation, for it turns 
out to be doubly productive and large areas that 
lie undeveloped in the lowcountry can be turned to 
use if Government will grant reasonable concessions. 
The plant is never allowed by the natives to grow 
in gardens as it exhausts the soil and sucks up 
all manure. They uproot it whenever it is grown 
for the winged seeds find their way to all parts of 
the land and plant themselves. 
Your correspondent’s suggestion to cultivate it on 
road sides and to supply the vacancies in tea 
will prove, in my humble opinion, detrimental to 
the staple industry of the island. Instead of prov- 
ing an additional revenue I fear it will stunt the 
growth of tea plants and exhaust the soil.— I am, 
sir, your obedient servant, 
M. CATHIEAYALO. 
We find the ioWov/'mg in the J ournal of the Impenal 
Institute by this mail : — • 
THE FLOSS, OR “ SILK-COTTON,” ovCaJotropis Proccra. 
Calotropis procera is a shrub found in the drier 
parts of India, chiefly in the sub-Himalayc n district 
from the Indus to Jhelum ; in Central India and the 
Deccan ; and distributed to Persia and tropical Africa. 
Calotropis gigantea, a species only doubtfully distinct 
from C. procera, and; jvhich has the same vernacular 
names, is recorded as identical in its properties and 
uses. The sap yields a form of gutta-percha, and is 
also used as a tan and dye : a manna is said to 
exude from the plant ; the bast fibre and floss from 
the seeds are well-known fibres; the root-bark and 
sap are medicinal ; the wood is used for gunpowder 
charcoal; and various parts of the plant are employed 
for sacred, domestic and agricultural purposes. 
These plants, C. procera and C. yield two 
distinct fibres — (1) a silk cotton from the seeds, known 
commercially as “ madar floss,” and (2) a rich, white 
bast fibre from the bark. The floss is soft, very 
white, and has a beautiful silky gloss ; it is employed 
to some extent, like the Dutch “kapok,” for stufiing 
pillows, but has generally been regarded as of too 
short staple to be spun, although as regards its 
possible use in this direction, a Lancashire spinner 
stated, at the time of the Colonial and Indian Ex- 
hibition of 1886, that he had overcome the difficulties 
and was prepared to purchase any quantity. But’ 
as the plant is only found wild, scattered over a 
wide area, the supply is limited and irregular. If it 
can be cultivated, there seems to be no reason why 
a regular supply should not find a market at a re- 
munerative price, and, at the same time, by bestowal 
of attention to the cultivation aud selection of seed, 
the character of the floss might be improved and 
its length of staple increased. 
The attention of the Scientific Department of the 
Institute having been directed by the Government 
of India to the possible utility of this floss, it has 
been submitted to examination by Mr. C. F. Cross 
Scientific Referee on Fibres to the Imperial In- 
stitute, and the following results have been obtained. 
Tn6 niorG iinpoit8.Dt coiistsjiits of tliG fibiG, whicii 
* A sample sent to us indicates a very fine staple 
or floss.— Ed. T.A. 
