AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 6 .] JUNE. [Vol. iv. 
FIBRES- —(continued.) 
The Bast fibre trees and shrubs are Jess used as sources 
of fibre than the herbaceous plants, as there is more trouble 
in growing and preparing the fibre. Several, however, have a 
special value of their own, and some of the others are collected 
in the forests by natives and brought in for sale in the villages. 
One of the only native fibres brought in for sale into the small 
country shops is the bast cJf the Terap, Artocarpus Kunstleri, a 
common tree in these parts. In Malacca, and elsewhere where 
the tree is abundant the Tutok ( Hibiscus macrophyllus ) is in 
request for rough cordage, while many other shrubs and small 
\ trees growing in the forests produce a ready-made tying material. 
/ so that one may say one can always find string in a w r ood. 
» 
. Artocarpns Kunstleri , King. Ter«*p is a common tree often 
' attaining a very large size, occasionally 100 feet tall or more. 
1 he leaves are lobed when young, nnd often quite narrow and 
deeply cut in shoots rising from a stool. In adult trees they 
are entire and oval, hard in texture, and somewhat pubescent 
beneath. The fruit when ripe is globular and it is eatable, being 
sweet in taste. T he stem contains a quantity of sticky latex 
which, however, never sets firmly, so that it cannot be used as 
rubber, but it is much used as a birdlime. The bast can be 
removed by cutting tTirough the bark and stripping it off and 
*■ beating it out with a club. It is thus token off in large sheets 
of a dark brown colour and very tough. Ijn this form it is used 
bv the Sakais for clothing. It is easily torn longitudinally into 
strips and twisted into rope. 
i 
