Sanseviera. HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 163 
once from a small bed of the plants which I planted a- 
bout twelve months before in my own garden. The bed 
was scarcely three yards square, and the leaves upon an 
average less than two feet long, owing to my having ga- 
thered them before they were at their full size. Full grown 
leaves of three or three and a half feet long yielded in the 
proportion of one pound of the clean fibres (flax,) for 
every forty pounds of fresh leaves, for eight pounds of 
such leaves, yielded me three ounces of clean fibre; hence I 
conclude that this plant might be cultivated to advantage. 
For even according to the first mentioned rate, of one 
pound of the fibres, from a bed of three square yards of the 
plants, one acre would yield one thousand six hundred 
and thirteen pounds of the clean flax at a gathering, two 
of which may be reckoned on yearly, in a good soil, and 
a favorable season after the, plants are of a proper age, 
mine being only as yet about twelve months old, which [ 
imagine is too short a time for them to have acquired 
sufficient size, and strength, to yield the best and largest 
proportion of fibre. 
_ There are certainly a great variety of uses to which 
these fibres may be applied better than any other sub- 
Stance yet known. Iam inclined to think that the fine 
line, called China grass, which is employed for sts 
lines , fiddle strings, &c. is made of these fibres. | 
It grows readily from the slips, which issue in great a a- 
bundance from the roots, requires little or no care, and as 
they are perennial, would not require renewing often, if 
at all ; indeed the bed in my garden requires thinning, 
‘Some years ago, 1 remember to have seen a bed or 
two of these plants in Dr, Russell’s garden at Vizagapa- 
tam, which grew most luxuriantly, more so than mine 
has done ; which gives reason to think that a rich sandy 
soil may suit this plant better than our stiffer soil about 
Samulcota, Should it ever become an_ object. of cul- 
| of 
= expensive and more expeditions methe 
U2 
