Report of Society's Meetings. 65 
by hand of the fibre would be remunerative. The general 
opinion among the river people seems to be that the 
price of from 5 to 6 cents per lb. of prepared fibre, 
is too low — more especially when much higher prices 
are obtainable for the unprepared leaves, and for the 
prepared ropes. From one distri6l alone (Moruca) has 
there come any intimation of an extension of the 
cultivation for trade purposes. 
4. The Crowa grows readily on sandy soils ; but thrives 
best on the dark loamy grounds. Where the ground 
consists of barren white quartz sands, the Crowa hardly 
grows at all. On ordinary sandy soils, the fibre may be 
obtained from 3 to 3^ feet in length. On richer ground, 
the fibre may run to as long as from 5 to 5^ feet. The 
fibres hitherto obtained from Mr. Griffiths, Warramuri, 
Moruca River, are of the better kind ; while those 
received from Mr. Seon, Demerara River, are of the 
former — the strength of the fibre^ being apparently the 
same in both. 
5. The Crowa takes from 10 to 12 months to mature ; 
and the leaves are stripped for fibre when the plant is 
fruiting, Before that the fibre is weak and breaks up 
easily in preparation. 
6. The number of suckers from each plant seems to 
vary considerably, at times three, at others about twelve, 
being produced. Eight appears to be an average number. 
It appears necessary to plant out the suckers when they 
are quite young ; and a little shelter is advisable to 
render them vigorous. Overgrown suckers are said not 
to mature, though eventually they throw out other 
suckers. 
7. At present there are no fa6ls at hand on which to 
1 
