29 
cm. — S pakmannia Africana (Linnaeus, fil.). Common 
African Hemp Bushf’ Order TiLiacece, South Africa. 
This handsome quick-growing shrub attains a height of 10 to 
12 feet. It delights in a rich sandy loam ; and is quite at home 
in Victoria. By good cultivation and a liberal water supply 
during the hot season, it grows so rapidly here that two crops of 
“canes” at least can be obtained in a year. The bark, more 
especially that of the young branches or shoots, is very rich in 
fibre of fine texture. For many purposes it is considered by 
some experts equal, if not superior, to “Bamie” or “ Chinese 
Grass-cloth fibre. In appearance it resembles jute-fibre, but is 
supposed to be superior in some respects. Professor C. li. Dodge, 
in speaking of the sample of Sparraaunia fibre (the first of its kind 
ever prepared), which was forwarded from these gardens by me to 
the Philadelphia Exhibition (1876), says: — “The fibre is of a 
beautiful silvery-grey colour, when it has been properly prepared. 
Some of the filaments of this sample are brilliant and lustrous, 
and it possesses considerable strength j in fact, seems almost 
equal to China grass in tenacity. He places it in the second 
division in his Economic Classification of Fibres.” 
In his Useful Fibre Plants of the Worlds he also says : — 
“ The advantages which Sparrnannia has over all other fibre 
plants, and which elevates it to the highest rank of agricultural 
products, are, that it is perennial, it is one of the very best 
forage plants in existence, its enormous yield, both of fodder and 
fibre, the great strength and dazzling whiteness of the fibre, the 
facility with which it takes dyes, and the extremely low prices 
at which it can be produced making it accessible even to the 
paper manufacturer.” (Jean Roth.) 
Commercial value of this fibre quoted to me at from £17 to 
£17 10s. per ton in London. 
Prepared by rnaceration, young branches fifteen days, older 
branches 21 days. 
CIV. — Spakmannia Africana, flore-pueno. “Double- 
flowered African Hemp Bush.’^ Order Tiliacece. South 
Africa. 
Probable yield of fibre about 4 tons per acre. Commercial 
value same as the preceding. 
Sample No, 1, young wood, three weeks^ maceration. 
Sample No, 2, older wood, four weeks’ maceration. 
Sample No. 3, much older wood, six weeks’ maceration.^ 
* The use of Sparrnannia Africana as a fibre plant was first discovered by the writer in 
1873, and the first sample ever exliibit^-d was, as stated, sent from the Melbourne Botanic 
Oardeiu to the Centennial Exhibition of riutadelphia, 1876, 
