44 - 



scape 20-30 ft. high. The pole is 3-6 ins. in diameter at the 

 base ; the outer layer or rind becomes hard and dry ; whereas 

 the interior is soft and pithy. Economically the poles consti- 

 tute a waste product ; they have a low^ fuel value and but few- 

 practical uses. The panicle is about 8 ft. long and 4 ft. wide. 

 There are 30-40 horizontal candelabrum-like branches in the 

 panicle ; the largest, near the middle, are 2 or more feet long, 

 the upper and lower ones are shorter. At the ends of the 

 branches are borne dense clusters of erect flowers. These are 

 almost invariably sterile ; seed capsules are very rare, except 

 when produced artificially by means of careful hand pollination. 

 Normally, in the course of a few^ days the flowers wither and 

 drop, functionless, and are quickly succeeded by the vegetable 

 bulbils, which will be described later. In its flowering habit the 

 sisal may be compared with the Hawaiian bananas, w^hich pro- 

 duce huge quantities of flowers that never seed ; reproduction 

 has become wholly vegetative and asexual. 



The root system of the sisal plant is relatively simple. The 

 roots extend outer near the surface, rarely descending below 

 12-8 ins. When given sufficient room the roots will generally 

 spread out over an area equal to that covered by the mature 

 leaves. 



The botanical name of the so-called "malina" is Fnicraea gi- 

 gantea, allied to the agaves. It is common in old gardens and 

 along roadsides and waste places. It is now thoroughly natur- 

 alized, and is known to the Hawaiians as "Malina" (their render- 

 ing of Manila, in reference to its hemp-like qualities). The 

 plant is a gigantic rosette, resembling sisal in aspect, except 

 that the leaves of Frucraea are larger, broader, thinner, and 

 much darker green. The fibre, known commercially as pita, is 

 long and fine, but inferior to sisal in strength. It is extensively 

 cultivated in Mauritius, and is commercially known as "Mauritius 

 hemp". 



Sisal fibre is hard or harsh, Z-S ft. long, and tending to be 

 somewdiat coarse and stiff. It is light yellow or nearly white 

 in color, lighter in shade than henequen, and much paler than 

 Manila. It is heavier than Manila but its working strength is 

 about one-tenth less than that of Manila of the same size and 

 type. Sisal fibre is used most extensively for binder twine. It 

 is also used for lariats and general small cordage of one inch 

 diameter and under sisal is not as well adapted for marine work 

 as the true Manila. 



Hawaiian sisal for many years has demonstrated in the open 

 market its superiority over that produced elsewhere. This has 

 been corroborated repeatedly by fibre experts. It has uniformly 

 commanded better prices than the best grades of henequen 

 grown in Yucatan. 



The yield of fibre is 3-4% of the weight of the green leaves. 

 The average yield of clean, dry fibre is 500-1,200 lbs. per acre. 



