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BOWSTRING HEMP. 
The herbaceous plant Bowstring Hemp has succulent 
leaves, blotched with gray and attaining a height 
of from two to three and a half feet or more. This 
plant yields fine, white, tough and elastic fibre. 
It is commonly found as an ornamental plant in 
gardens, and is well distributed throughout Malaya. 
It is indigenous to India and Ceylon, and is to be 
found growing in a large variety of soils, but thrives 
best in those which are fairly friable, and under 
partial shade throughout its period of growth; it 
appears to do well under the shade of old rubber. 
The plant is propagated by seed, division, or leaf 
cuttings, the latter being more convenient. The 
distance of planting is about two feet apart each 
way. The yield is reported to be one and a half 
tons per acre, as a sole crop. 
There are many species of Sansevieria, the leaves 
of which yield a fibre suitable for cordage manu- 
facture, found in most tropical countries. There 
are two very common types to be found locally. 
These plants have large, thick, underground stems 
or rhizomes which throw out numerous branches. 
The leaves arise from the base of the plant and 
vary in length. They are of a succulent nature, 
generally flat and wide, but some are thick and 
narrow. 
A sample of fibre prepared from locally grown 
plants was forwarded to London and reported on as 
follows : — ■ 
'‘A hard, clean fibre; strength, good; height, fair; 
colour, dull white; preparation, good; texture, fine; 
value £40 per ton. (7 — 10 — 21) ” 
