"ToL. VII. Xo. 156. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



125 



ZAPUPE FIBRE PLANT. 



During the past two m- thruc years increasing atten- 

 tion has been drawn to a fibre plant of the Aijin-c, genus 

 which is being cultivated in Mexico, more especially in 

 the State of Santa Cruz, with most profitable results. 

 The specilic identity of the planr., however, has not yet 

 been established. The plant is described as being very 

 similar in appearance to the sisal hemp, but differs 

 from the latter in producing a larger number of 

 leaves, which are also hunger and more tieshy. A recent 

 number of the Kcw Biilltfin states that a plant has 

 been received at Kew, and is making good growth in 

 the gardens. 



In view of tlie po.^sibility that the Zapupe plant 

 might be found a suitable and remunerative crop for 

 cultivation in some of the British West Indies, 

 a report dealing with the subject, prepared by the 

 British Consul at Vera Cruz, was lately forwarded to the 

 Imperial Commissioner of Agriculture from the Colonial 

 Office. The particulars given below have been 

 abstracted from this report : — 



Although the first ^Mexican experiments in the growth of 

 zapupe began only in 1902, yet during the past two or three 

 years at least 4,000 to 5,000 acres of ground have been 

 cleared and planted in the State of Vera Cruz alone, and the 

 reports on the fibres obtained have been so pronusing that 

 the planted area is still rapidly extending. Owing to the 

 larger yield of leaf and the more rapid growth of the zapupe, 

 it is expected that it will prove a far more renninerati\e crop 

 than sisal. AVhereas fully six years must elapse before the 

 first crop of sisal leaves can be gathered, the zapupe yields its 

 first return in from three to four years from "planting. 

 Eurther, although the weight of fibre per leaf is considerably 

 less in the ease of the zapupe than with the sisal, yet owinw 

 to -the much greater number of leaves on the zapupe, the latter 

 is reported to give an average of 2^- lb. of fibre per plant per 

 annum, as compared with 1| lb. of fibre obtained from the 

 .sisal. Extra labour and expense, however, would be entailed 

 in the case of the zapupe, .since the leaves are obtained in 

 three cuttings per annum, whereas the .sisal plant gives its full 

 yield in two cuttings. 



Zapupe seems to prefer a moderately light .soil, of not 

 too porous a nature, on gently sloping hill-sides. .Soil too 

 sandy or too clayey in nature should be avoided. The land 

 should be well drained, and though it is reported to do well 

 on poor soil, better results are obtained on land fairly rich. 

 The plant flourishes in a warm and humid atmosi)here, and 

 ■will not grow at too high an elevation. 



No great trouble is entailed in the cultivation or 

 ■propagation of the zapupe. Young .shoots given otf by the 

 plant are taken when they are but a few inches high, and 

 • set out in nurseries. Here they remain and grow for about 

 nine months, when they are transplanted to the field. 

 A furrow is made with a plough, the young plants are set out 

 at distances of 5 feet apart, and the earth is banked up around 

 them by another turn of the plough. The furrows in which 

 the rows of plants are set are about 7, feet apart, and at these 

 distances, a little over 1,000 plants are set out per acre. The 

 co.st of iilanting an acre, including the purchase of about 

 1,000 sho.-its, tending these in the nursery, preparing ground, 

 and transplanting would amount to about $50. 



As already mentioned, the first cutting of li-wcs wonld 

 ■be obtained in abr.ut four year.s, and three cuttings take 



place each year. Each [ilant jiroduces about 2i Iti. of fibre 

 annually (representing a return of somewhat more than a ton 

 [ler acre), and continues productive for a term of eight to 

 ten years. 



Up to the present, the uses to which zapupe fibre have 

 been applied have been .somewhat Hnuted. Recent experi- 

 ments, however, have demonstrated its adaptability for 

 working up into rojie and ' binder twine,' for which it is 

 reported to [hisscss the, necessary toughness and tensile 

 strength in a remarkable degree. 



The gigantic strides that have taken place in the sisal 

 hemp industry of Yucatan should undoubtedly prove 

 encouraging to those wdio jiropose to take up what ap]iears 

 to be an even more promi-sing cultivation. In 1S<S0, only 

 18,179 tons of sisal, valued at £177,757 were exported from 

 Yucatan. Ten years later the value of the shiiJinents reached 

 £523,030 ; in 1S99 the exports were valued at £2,021,124, 

 and in 1900 they reached a total of £2,724,752. 



LEMON GRASS. 



The cultivation of lemon grass {Audropogon 

 citndus), which has received some slight attention in 

 Montserrat, was briefly described in an article that 

 appeared in the Agricultural Newf< (Vol. V, p. 27). 

 Some farther paiticulars are given in the Quarterli/ 

 Journal of the Bengal Department of Agriculture for 

 January last. 



Lemon grass is largely grown for its oil in Ceylon. 

 It does not seem to be particular as to soil or situation, 

 and wdll grow at an}' elevation up to 1,600 feet. The 

 soil that gives the best returns, however, appears to be 

 a sandy loam. 



Lemon grass is usually j)ropagated by offsets fi-oni 

 clumps of the mature grass. The best resitlts are obtained 

 from clumps two or three years old. The stools are divided 

 into slips and planted into holes at distances of 2 or 3 

 feet apart. .Vfter planting, the soil shcjuld be trodden down 

 firndj' around the plants. Necessary weeding operations 

 shoidd be carried out at least twice a year. 



In the cidtivation of this crop little or no expenditure 

 need be made in the purchase of manure. An occasional 

 application of cattle dung, however, is .said to have good 

 results, and after distillation of the essential oil, the grass may 

 be returned to the ground as a mulch. In Ceylon a first 

 (aitting of grass is made about nine months after planting. 

 Two or three cuttings a year can be made. Replanting is 

 necessary after the third year. 



The oil is generally distilled directly the grass has been 

 cut, but it is stated that better results are obtained by keep- 

 ing the grass for a day before commencing this operation. 

 The process of distillation,, although very .simple, takes four or 

 five hours to complete. After distillation, the crude oil is filter- 

 ed and then run into bottles or casks ready for the market. The 

 yield of oil varies greatly, sometimes amounting to 0'2 per 

 cent, of the weight of the grass. A good yield is about 100 

 quarts, or 4,000 fiuid oz,. per acre. At 6d. per oz., this 

 repre.sents a return of £100 per acre. 



Lemon grass oil is generally employed in the perfuming 

 of scented soaps and pomades. It is also largely used in the 

 a<llilteration of verbena oil. The product has largely increased 

 in value of late years, aiul in Ceylon a price of from 6(7. to 

 Sd. an ounce can be relied on. A .sample of oil sent froin 

 ^[ontserrat was valued by London brokers at 4|(7. per oz, and 

 it was stated that there would be no difficulty in disposing of 

 at least 500 lb. of the product. 



