AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN * 
OF THE 
STRAITS 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 8.] AUGUST, 1906. [Vol. VIII 
BANANA FIBRE. 
Report on the Fibres of Musa malaccensis and Musa 
sapientum from the Straits Settlements, by Professor 
Wyndham R. Dunstan, m.a., f.r.s., Director, Imperial 
Institute, South Kensington, London. 
The samples of these fibres which are the subject of the 
present report were forwarded to the Imperial Institute by the 
Director of the Botanic Gardens at Singapore, with a letter dated 
April 23, 1906. 
It was stated that the wild plantain, Musa malaccensis , is* very 
abundant in the Straits Settlements and could be grown as a 
catch -crop with rubber if the fibre proved to be of value. 
The other fibre was obtained from a cultivated banana, 
Musa sapientum , of the common edible variety known as 
“ Rastadi.” 
The samples of fibre were prepared by Mr. A. D. Machado, 
of Kamuning Estate, Perak, who has invented a scutching 
. machine for the extraction of the fibre. 
Description of Samples.- 
The samples obtained from Musa sapientum , var Rastali 
consisted of 1^ ounces of rather coarse and imperfectly cleaned 
fibre, light buff in colour and of very poor strength. The 
average length was 5 feet 6 inches but some of the fibre was as 
much as 7 feet in length. 
The sample from Musa malaccensis , the “ Wild Pisang,” 
consisted of one ounce of very weak fibre averaging 6 feet 7 
inches in length, some of the fibre being 9 feet long. It was 
inferior to the other fibre in appearance, and was also ^coarser 
owing to the fact that the fibres has not been separated. 
