So4 



TME TROPICAL AGRICtJLtURlSt. [June i, 1887. 



" with his own life, during the subsequent Indian wars. 

 " With this Agave, however, he has been successful, 

 " as it is now fully natuaralized, and is quite abundant 

 " at Key AVest and the adjacent coast. Dr. Parry 

 "found it there in full bloom in February 1871, and 

 " gives the following description of it : — Trunk short ; 

 "leaves pale green but not glaucous, 4 — 6 feet long 

 "and 4 — inches wide, generally smooth-edged, but 

 " here and there bearing a few uneiiual, sometimes 

 " very stout and sharp teeth ; terminal spine stout, 

 "often twisted, purplish-black; scape 20 or 25 feet 

 " high, panicle 8 feet long and half as wide. One of 

 " the largest plants e.xamiued had 3o branches in the 

 "panicle, the largest (near the middle) 2 feet long, 

 " upper and lower ones shorter. The flowers are 

 " slightlj' larger than those described, with a. shorter, 

 " thicker ovary, stamens inserted a little higher up in 

 «' the tube. The plants bore no fruit, but produced 

 *' an abundance of buds, by which they propagate 

 " themselves and from which this interesting form has 

 " been multiplied in this country and in Europe. 



" If this plant is, as is most probable, oidy a cul- 

 " tivated variety of A. ri'jiila, it is of the greatest 

 *' importance for the study and the understanding of 

 " the Agaves, indicating, as it does, the extent of 

 "variation which they may undergo. It shows that 

 " the size of leaf and scap^', or colour of leaf, are of 

 " no great specific value, and also that the presence 

 ''or absence of spiny teeth on the margin is not an 

 '' unalterable character, not any more than the carti- 

 ''laginous margin decurrent from the terminal spine. 

 '' The presence of a trunk, the proportions of the 

 "leaf (in -1. rujiila and all its varieties the length 

 '"equals 12 — 11 times the width), probably the form 

 " oi the terminal spine, the character of the in- 

 " florescence, and, above all, the form and ])roportions 

 '* of the flower and its parts, remain constant, and 

 '' perhaps also the proliferous character of the iu- 

 '' florescence of some species.' 



In a Report on fibre plants prepared by the late 

 Director of the Botanical Department, .Jamaica, in 

 1884, it is mentioned that with reganl to the value 

 of Aijave rhjida and its allied forms as the sources of 

 the Sisal hemp of commerce, there are two important 

 points deserving attention. The first is the universal 

 increasing demand which exists in all countries -for 

 this fibre, and the, second is the drought enduring 

 character of the plant aud the simple and economical 

 treatKient which it reciuires at the hands of the cul- 

 tivator. 



The fibre of these Agaves under their own name 

 or as yisal hemp and Henequen is ([uoted at the 

 present time at '6'6l. per ton, which is a little over 

 4(/. per pound. 



In Yucatan the Agaves are planted about feet 

 between the plants each way, with intervals of l-'i 

 or 18 feet at certain distances for carting out the 

 leaves and young shoots. In regularly planted areas 

 there should be 4(t0 plants to the acre. Plants put 

 out as suckers about Ih to 2 feet high commence to 

 yield in the fourth or fifth year and they " continue 

 to do so for fifty or sixty years and even longer." 

 As an example of what the probable returns may 

 be from a Sisal hemp plantation, it is stated by Dr. 

 Perrine that each plant at four or five years old 

 yields on an average 25 leaves i)er annum, the aggre- 

 gate weight of which is one " arroba " or 25 pounds. 

 Out of this weight of green leaves there is obtained 

 by hand scraping one pound of clean marketable fibre, 

 which at ',\>M. per ton is worth a little over four- 

 pence per pound. 



The annual gross return per acre may therefore be 

 set down at 400 pounds of fibre, which at 4f/. a pound, 

 gives a gross yield of (!/. l'6s. Ad. The actual cost of 

 producing and preparing the fibre would vary according 

 to the circumstances of the locality ; but where ordinary 

 facilities exist for the transit and preparation of the 

 leaves, and especially with the aid of simple and 

 effective machinery, the cost should not exceed one 

 penny per pound. Hence the net returns may be 

 Bot down at about ol. per acre per annum. 



The export of Sisal hemp exceeds that of any 

 other article of Mexican growth, The export value 



of fibres from Yucatan in 1883 reached the large sum 

 of (558,000/. 



Dr. Schott. in the report of the Department of 

 Agriculture, (-'uited States of America for l8(j;t, re- 

 marks that " while other products of Yucatan agri- 

 " culture may occasionally have become unprofitable 

 "either in consequence of adverse climatic features 

 " to which the peniusula is subject, or through com- 

 " mercial fluctuations, the Sisal liemp has never been 

 '• subject to such drawbacks, a fact attributable to the 

 " universal usefulness of its fibre and the uuconquer- 

 "able vitality of the plant, which easily survives the 

 " effects inherent to the nature of a riverless rocky 

 " desert, an:l the severe trials of a six months' 

 "tropical sun. For a knowledge of the Sisal hemp 

 " plant,'' continues Dr. Schott, " its culture and uses, 

 " Yucatan is iudebted to the ]\Iaya Indians, the 

 "direct descendants of those remnants of the Toltecs 

 " who, after the fall of their empire in the valley 

 "of Me.xico, endgrated to Central America and 

 " Yucatan. 



Au account of the Sisal hemp industry in Yucatan 

 has lately been published by the Government of 

 .lamaica. This was furnished by Mr. Stoddard, who 

 for a time was practically engaged in the industry. 

 It contains information on some points not hitherto 

 available. According to this writer the plant known 

 locally as Sacijui (probably according to Engelmann, 

 the variety hinr/ifuhn) is most generally cultivated. 

 This is said to yield the largest cjuautity of fibre, 

 which is characterised by flexibility, whiteness, strength, 

 aud weight. It has been already mentioned that Dr. 

 Schott selected the ]'u.cci as furnishing the best 

 quiility, and the Sacci (Sacqui the largest quantity of 

 fibre. It is, however, generally agreed that the bulk 

 of the fibre exported from Yucatan, and called from 

 the former port of shipment Sisal hemp, is the produce 

 of the Sacqui. The chief port of shipment now is 

 Pregresso. 



The land which supports the fibre industry in 

 Yucatan is of a gravelly, stony, and in some places 

 of a rocky cliaracter. The plants thrive best and 

 yieUl the largest amount of fibre in comparatively 

 arid districts, only a few feet above the level of the 

 sea. Moist land or rich land is considered un- 

 suitable, for althouL,'h the plants would grow in 

 the lat.ter, the (piantitj' of fibre yielded would be com- 

 paratively small. For convenience of carriage and 

 general management level land is preferred. 



rianlatiims are established by simly clearing the 

 land of trees and scrub. Stumps are uprooted to give 

 an even surface. Shade is a disadvantage. Plants are 

 generally put out during the rainy season, at 12 feet 

 by 6 feet (equal to G05 to the acre ) in holes propor- 

 tional to their sive. All fibrous roots and lower leaves 

 are removed before planting, to facilitate new growth. 

 It is estimated to cost " four shilliugs and six pence 

 per acre to line, dig holes, drop suckers, aud plant." 

 A well established plantation has au exten.sive system 

 of roads all converging ou the works, which latter are 

 placed in as centri,! position as possible. 



After planting, the chief cultural oijerations are con- 

 fined to keeping the fields clear of weeds, and remov- 

 iug suckers which grow around the parent plants. 

 These latter are utilised to extend cultivation by being 

 planted in nurseries^ or are thrown away. Their re- 

 mov.al is considered necessary to the success of the 

 plantation. 



A fibre plantation started with plants about Ih feet 

 high, begins to yield in about three years after plant- 

 ing. Any aijpearance of the " pole," or flowering 

 spike, is watched, and when 3 or 4 feet high it is cut 

 out. Otherwise the usefiUness of the plants for fibre 

 purposes would cease. 



The length of leaves cut for fibre should not be less 

 than 3 feet ; their ripeness is judged by the colour 

 and by their position in the rosette. Consequently 

 the outer leaves are always cut first, being the oldest. 

 The harvesting of the leaves, which goes on all the 

 year after once started, is eflFected in the following 

 manner :— Men armed with suitable knives select ripe 

 leaves, cut them close to the trunk, remove prickles 

 I from the edge, aud point aud make them up iuty 



