VEGETABLE FIBERS. 599 



and whether it -would be able to compete 'with the same fiber produced in 

 Yucatan at the present time is a question that would have to be settled 

 by actual experiment. It probably would be able to hold its own, how- 

 ever. That there would be a market for all the fiber that might be pro- 

 duced there is not the least question. There are manufacturers now in 

 Kew York that would be glad to get it, provided it was up to the stand- 

 ard in quality. Sisal hemp has risen rapidly in favor as a cordage ma- 

 terial, and especially since the introduction into Yucatan of improved 

 processes and machinery. It has driven New Zealand flax entirely out 

 of the market, and holds its price now at only a cent less per pound than 

 manila, for the manufactured article. Dr. Perrine, fifty years ago, 

 demonstrated that the plant would flourisli in Florida, and we point to 

 the industry as one worthy of development. The price of Sisal hemf) in 

 the New York market last year was 7| cents per jjound, or about $160 

 per ton, and one manufacturing company corisuiiied during the year over 

 tliirty million pounds. This was chiefly manufactured into coniage. 



The many species of Yucca flourish throughout the Southwest and in 

 many portions of tropical and semi-tropical America. Good fiber can be 

 produced from the plants, and machinery has been invented for the pur- 

 pose of separating it. Not haviDg seen the machine I cannot say how 

 successfully it accomplishes its work, or what are the drawbacks to the 

 production of Yucca fiber as an industry. I have seen a number of 

 yucca manufactures, and find them good, and the fiber admirably ailapted 

 to the purposes for which intended. Among the samples are specimens 

 of yucca cordage and coarse " cloth " (matting) from Y. jilamentosa^ manu- 

 factured by Mr. Stoner, of Stony Point, Louisiana. What has been said 

 regarding the market for Sisal wiU apply equally weU to the yucca fiber. 

 The two forms of fiber are vei-y similar. In fact, small portions of yucca 

 occasionally find their way to market from Yucatan, mixed with Sisal, 

 and of course sold as Sisal. This fact is mentioned in the body of the 

 report and the differences in the two fibers pointed out. 



The following statements are made in a communication received from 

 Mr. Stoner, the inventor of the Yucca machine mentioned above : 



I have onltiTatod, tested, and manufactured to eome extent the Yucca fllamentosa, and 

 Aloefolia. The fiber can be readily obtained by means of machinery, by which the 

 green leaves are thoroughly mashed, and then passed through a system of washing 

 Tvhich removes all extraneous substance, leaving the fiher as white as Irish linen, and 

 ready for market. The entire southern portion of the United States is peculiarly 

 adapted to the natural growth of fibrous plants, but the hinderances [to their success- 

 ful production] are three-fold. First, the Southern people are very reluctant to take 

 hold of anything new, and especially any agricultural product except cotton; second, 

 they are no manufacturing people ; and, lastly, the financial and political conditiona 

 are not favorable. I sincerely believe that if some wealthy and energetic manufactur- 

 ing company vrould take hold of the Yucca cleaning machine, or any other that would 

 clean the fiher, and introduce them in the South, they would soon become as numer- 

 ous as the cotton gin, ae there are thousands of tona of yucca in the South now ready 

 for utilization. 



Not to put it quite as strongly as our correspondent, I think that with 

 capital at hand any individual or company could make money in Texas, 

 or in the territory where the yucca abounds, by establishing mills, for 

 the supply is almost inexhaustible, and the fiber v/ould certainly com- 

 mand as ready a market as Sisal. ' Some of oui- large eastern manufac- 

 turing firms might find it advantageous to make the experiment, and if 

 it resulted in the finding of a home supply of cordage material the 

 nation, as weU as themselves, would reap the benefits of the new indus- 

 try. The fiber of Agave Americana or "pita" deserves to be brought 

 into notice as a valuable cordage material. T^?^o patents have been 

 granted within a year or two for machines for ita production. 



