May 2, 1908.] Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 3G7 



Some Notes on Sisal Hemp. 



H. V. JACKSON. 



81SAL lii'iiip is one of the fibres schedulefl iin(l(>r the Commonwealth Bounties 

 Act. 



The fibre is obtained fi-om the plants of the Agave species of plants. 



At the Exjieriment Farm, Wollongbar, Richmond River, specimen plants 

 were under cultivation at the time the writer was Manager of the farm — 

 from 1898 to 1901. A considerable area was under Bieh)ueria nivea — China 

 grass or Ramie, and small plantations wei'e formed of Musa textilis, Manila 

 Hemp, and Agave rigida var. SisaJana, (Sisal hemp, and plants of Sansetnera 

 lanuginosa, Bowstring Hemp, and Fourcroya giganfea. 



Various vernacular names are give-n to plants of the Agave species. One 

 authority expresses the oj^inion that the fil)re plants of the Agave family 

 were known to the Haitians comprehensively as " Henequen," and according 

 to another writer it would seem that the word "Maguni" or "Manguai" also 

 belonged to the na.tive language of Haiti The Spaniards ajiparently took 

 the names Pita and Maguey with them to the mainland and applied t!ie nami' 

 to the Agave which they found cultiva'ed on the tableland of Mexico. In 

 consequence of the number of vernacular names, some confusion has arisen as 

 to the varieties of Agave they may specifically refer to. Baron von Mueller 

 .says of Agave rigida, it is " the Chnle i>, Henequen, and Sacci of the Mexicans 

 furnishing the Sisal hemp. The leaves of the Sacci or Sacqui give the 

 laro-est returns. The yield of fibre begins in four or five years and lasts for 

 hilf a c-ntury or more, the plant being prevented from fi.iwering by cutting 

 Mway its flower stalk when very young. The fibre is stiaight, glossy, and 

 strong, particularly well adapted for ropes, as resisting dampness. The leaves 

 are from 2 to G fe(jt long and 2 to 6 inches wide." 



In notes on Agave and Fourcroya in India by J. R. Drummond and 

 p. Prain, the description given of Agave sisalana, the true Sisal, is as 

 follows : — 



Leaves 20-35, oblong-lanceolate, never foi'ming a rosette, but closely tufted on the 

 rhizome or on a very short ascending caudex which is completely hidden by their 

 moderately thick bases, the inner making a very sharp angle with the axis, the outer 

 gradually receding but still making less than a right angle, neck not at all constricted ; 

 coI(HU' deep green, sometimes glaucous ; up to (5 feet long, breadtli at the widest part 

 which is just above the middle reaching 10 inches, margin with or without prickles, 

 which, if present, are weak, scattered, and pale coloured, terminal spine not channelled, 

 glossy, purple or dark brown ; scape 15 feet or more with the panicle, fascicles of 

 blossoms rather crowded, germen equal to or shorter than the perianth slightly broadened 

 upwards, base of perianth convex and somewhat dilated, limb suddenly contracted 

 narrowly ligulate tip slightly hooded, style long, very faintly lobed, early protruded. 

 {Capsule not available.) 



India. — Introduced into various parts of the country between 1885 and 1892. Culti- 

 vated in Burma, Cachar, and Sylhet, Assam, Bengal, North-West India as far as Lahore, 

 Central India, Bombay, Deccan (Poona), Mysore, Madras. 



