268 
The commercial experts reported that the ginned cotton was 
clean, of good hard staple, mixed in colour and worth about $d. per 
lb. “ Fully good fair brown Egyptian” cotton being quoted on the 
same date at 6f d. per lb. and “Middling American ” at 3f d. per lb. 
From the foregoing report, it is evident that the cotton is some- 
what nferior to the average qualities of Egyptian cotton. This 
inferiority is probably due to deterioration caused by the adverse 
climatic conditions to which the plants were subjected In the early 
period of their growth. The cotton is nevertheless of fair quality, 
and if this standard could be maintained and a moderate yield 
secured, the cultivation might prove remunerative. In any case, it 
certainly appears desirable that the experiments, referred to in the 
report of the Superintendent of the Experimental Plantations which 
are being carried on with the object of establishing a type of cotton 
capable of withstanding the local conditions, should be continued. 
WYNDHAN R. DUNSTAN. 
3rd March , / go 5. 
FIBRE OF MELOCHIA 
M. CORCHORI FOLIA. 
This is a wiry weed, very common in cleared ground and easily 
recognized by its small heads of little pink flowers with an ocre yel- 
low eye. The stems are tough and slender, covered with a thin 
light brown bark. I cannot find any allusion to its bark having 
been experimented with as a fibre pioducer except a reference to 
the fact that it is said to produce a fibre in Watts’ Dictionary of 
Indian Products. 
The plant came up abundantly in ground which had been cleared 
in the Botanic Gardens for Sanseviera culture, and when the stems 
had grown to about 3 feet long, a number were collected. I he bark 
was then stripped off, in the same way that is done with the Ramie 
plant and soaked and beaten in water. This took about a week 
to do’ when a bundle of fibre was obtained, of by no means inferior 
quality. The fibre is about 2 feet long, fine and strong, and beauti- 
fully silvery white, in fact, quite silky. 
The sticks with bark on weighed 26 ozs., the bark when removed 
weighed 13 ozs. This gave 2 oz. fibre or 6* per cent, on the bark. 
It may be doubted whether this fibre would ever pay for cultivation, 
as it is not a close grower and does not attain the height of jute, 
and further more, the cost of extracting it would perhaps be too 
great as a good deal of hand work has to be used m stripping the 
bark ’ but it is a fibre certainly suited for native work, on a smaller 
scale. No report on it has been procured as yet, but further experi- 
ments with this fibre will be tried. 
The plant belongs to the order Sterculiaceas and is known to the 
Malays as Lumak Kutam. They use the leaves and roots as an 
outward application in Small-pox, and also in cases of Dysentery. 
It is a common weed all over the East. Editor . 
