8 
Excellent samples of this fibre were shown at the recent Agri- 
cultural Show, by Mr. ScHIRMER. They were obtained from plants 
grown in the Botanic Gardens in Singapore and extracted by 
the Hogan machine. It was shown under the name of Brontelui 
pinguin , but I find the correct name of the plant is Karatas plu- 
mieri. The fibre is rather thinner than that of Fourcroya but 
stronger and of a very pure silky white colour with a fine gloss. It 
is thicker than Murva fibre. 
In South America where it is cleaned by hand much in the same 
way as pineapple fibre is prepared by scraping the leaves on a 
board with a heavy iron knife, it is used for the finest hammocks, 
nets, fishing lines, ropes, mats, sacking and clothing. “ After being 
combed it has been pronounced to be greatly superior to Russian 
flax and equal to the, best Belgian for application to the finest 
textile fabrics . J ’ (Dodge). 
The chief trouble in working the plant seems to be due to its 
powerful thorns, which make it troublesome to cut, and which have 
to be cut off the edges of the leaves before passing into the ma- 
chine. However, considering the ease with which the plant grows 
and the excellence of its fibre, it would be weil worth more atten- 
tion than it ever appears to have received. 
Yuccas . — There are a number of species of Yucca , in Mexico, 
nearly al^of which produce a good fibre, and one or two kinds are 
cultivated here from time to time in gardens as ornamental plants. 
One of these Y.filamentosa cultivated in the Botanic Gardens in 
Singapore was experimented with in Messrs. HOGAN’S machine and 
a good fibre extracted, the leaves seem to contain a larger proportion 
of fibre than almost any other tried. The fibre is rather thinner 
than that of Fourcroya and of much the same colour and strength. 
Attempts have been made to utilise these fibres in America where 
the plants grow in great quantities, but apparently the business was 
given up. Yuccas in the Straits grow slowly and* 8 the leaves are 
short, it is indeed more suited* for sand-hills and dry open places, 
and would not be suitable for a wet region like" this. It might do 
belter on the few sandy setisjiores we have, but it is hardly a 
plant to be recommended. In some places the fibre is successfully 
extracted by steeping the leaves in tubs of boiling water after which 
they are crushed between cylinders and plunged on hurdles into a 
boiling alkaline bath of 45 pounds of ashes to 121 gallons of water, 
where they are left for four hours, then taken out and washed. This 
simple method of working it is something in its favour, but unless 
localities in the Peninsula are found more suited for its growth, it 
can never become an important source of fibre. 
Editor. 
PRESENT PRICES OE FIBRES. 
We have received further notes from the big European Fibre 
firms as to demand and prices ruling from Mr. SCHIRMER from 
which I make the following extracts as of interest: — 
