11 



'* Pita de Giiataca. — This plant grows wild in the greatest 

 abundance, in the vicinity of the village of Guataca, in the 

 province of Carthagena, where its leaves attain a length of 

 nine to twelve feet, and a thickness of three to four inches. 

 These leaves are linear-lanceolate, with recurved spines along 

 the margins. The fruit is a triangular one-celled capsule, 

 with few seeds. The leaves exceed in length those of the 

 Bromelia Penguin, and of the Bromelia Karatas, both com- 

 mon plants in the West Indies ; but in length and strength 

 of foliaceous fibres, the Pita de Guataca excels both. It 

 was introduced into Jamaica in 1831, with the view of pro- 

 pagating it in the dry sandy savannahs of that island, which 

 are at present uncultivated and unproductive. This fibrous 

 substitute for hemp is preferred to common hemp, on account 

 of its superiority in lightness, strength, and durability, 

 especially under the influence of water or moisture. In 

 point of offal, compared with common hemp, the advantage 

 is enormous in favour of the Pita hemp. 



" It has been calculated that three tons of Pita will make 

 as much cordage, sail, or other cloth, as fifteen tons of 

 undressed hemp. In 1834 the quantity of hemp and flax, 

 from Russia into England alone, was estimated at 25,000 

 tons ; by substituting Pita, at least 74,000 acres of the 

 actual wastes of the West India colonies would be put under 

 lucrative culture. As to the difference in w^eight, between 

 equal bulks of Pita and common hemp. Dr. Hamilton has 

 ascertained it to be one-sixth in favour of the Pita ; and 

 hence, taking th6 weight of the standing and running rig- 

 ging of a man-of-war made of hemp at twelve tons, a reduc- 

 tion of two tons in the top weight would be effected by the 

 substitution of Pita. Under the operation of the emanci- 

 pating laws in the British West Indies, the white planters 

 will be forced to propagate fibrous-leaved plants on their 

 poorest soils, especially because in their preparation for 

 market, horse power can be substituted more profitably and 

 certainly for human power. Doctor Hamilton supposes this 

 Pita de Guataca to belong to a genus between Guzmannia 

 and Pourrettia. He speaks also of another plant, called 

 Pita de Sola, which grows in large quantities at Sola, is 

 probably a species of Agave, and yields coarser, browner, or 

 inferior fibres." 



B. Fitbntarij. 1839. e 



