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 I 

 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. I am inclined to think that the fine 

 line, called China grass, which is employed for fishing 

 lines, fiddle strings, b^c. is made of these fibres. 



It grow s readily from the slips, which issue in great 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- 

 ture, a less expensive and more expeditious method of 



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