49 
bales of 175 kilograms weight. The machine used is of mexican 
origin and made in America and is known as the* Estrella, it costs 
13,750 fiancs, and requires a ten-horse power engine. It treats 
120,000 leaves a day and gives about i,oco kilograms of fibre. 
The machine naturally requires a daily supply of 120,000 leaves, 
The coolies work 7 hours a day at the outside and are free after 
they have brought in this number of leaves, The coolies are paid at 
the rate of 10 francs a month with food and lodging. There is no 
scarcity of labour. 
The defibrator used is not perfect. It was originally designed for 
Sisal hemp. Another machine specially made for Sanseviera Ehren- 
bergii is to be installed. It is cheaper than the mexican one and 
does as much work. The cost of making the tibre is from 562 to 
625 francs a ton, which at a sale of 750 francs g.ves a profit of 125 
to 175 francs a ton, attempts are being made to lower the cost of 
transport to the factory. The weight of 120,000 leaves is 3,260 
kilos which gives 1,0c o kilos of fibres, so that 96% of the weight 
of the leaves carried to the factory is a waste product. 
Both Sanseviera Ehrenbergii and S cylindrica have been for 
some time in cultivation in the Botanic Gardens. The former is 
evidently not suited to the climate as it makes very little growth and 
the leaves are very short. 
S. cylindrica does better, but planted out makes much slower 
growth than S. guineensis and S. Zeylanka. The two latter seem 
indeed to be the most suited for this,, region. The machine and 
general method of preparation described above may be however 
suitable for these species. o 
H. N. R. 
Late flowering of Grammatophyllum. 
The Grammatophyllums in the Botanic Gardens did not flower this 
year at their ordinary period of August and September at all. No 
flower spikes appeared on any of the plants. Now, however, after the 
violent and prolonged period of rain during December, all the plants 
have commenced flowering. The spikes appeared in the end of 
December, and are now January 7th, fully open, though not at their 
full height. Dr. SCHLECHTER who has lately returned from Java 
says that exactly the same thing occurred in the Botanic Gardens at 
Buitenzorg all the plants there missed the flowering season in 
autumn and are now commencing their delayed flowering. Gramma- 
tophyllum is such a punctual flowerer usually that the postponement 
of its flowering, both here and in Java, this year is worth recording. 
H. N. R. 
The Powell- Wood Process Syndicate. 
So many letters have been received by the Editor asking for the 
details of this process, due to his having been mentioned in connec- 
