AGAVE 



Aloe fibres 



THE ALOE FIBRE PLANT 



Foiling Season. 



Report on Indian 

 Samples. 



/. ALOE FIBRES. 



From the remarks made under the paragraph above on the botany of 

 these plants it may be learned that the Indian fibres of this kind are 

 derived from A. Cantata, A. Vera Cruz, A. ? elongata and A. 

 ? longisepala. The assumption that the varying qualities of the Indian 

 fibre were exclusively due to diversity in climate, season, age of collection, 

 and methods of separation, etc., has been completely upset by Drummond 

 and Prain's recent paper (already briefly reviewed). We now know that 

 there are several distinct species and that the A. americana proper is 

 the most inferior and least important of all. 



The necessity for a full knowledge of the plant being or proposed to 

 be cultivated in any locality cannot be disputed. Prain (Ann. Rept. Roy. 

 Bot. Gard., Cole., 1903-4) says: "The Sisal Agave does not thrive 

 equally well or give equally remunerative results in all parts of India, 

 and in certain districts species of Agave other than sisalana, already so 

 completely naturalised as to appear indigenous, thrive so much better 

 than Sisal and yield fibres commercially so little inferior to the best 

 Sisal fibre that their systematic cultivation offers a hopeful field for 

 investment." " It seems that, while, as a rule, more or less well- 

 defined areas have particular species well established, the prevailing 

 species in one area often differs from that most plentiful in another 

 area. Moreover, it is found, when attempts are made to utilise the 

 fibre of these local Agaves, that somewhat diverse results are obtained : 

 at times the fibre extracted is reported to be nearly up to the 

 standard of Sisal, at other times it proves too weak to be worth ex- 

 tracting. The explanation of these facts appears to be that other species 

 of Agave share with A. sisalana the peculiarity of adapting themselves 

 readily to certain localities and thriving less vigorously in others. The 

 original object of the introduction of all the species was to provide secon- 

 dary lines of defence round stockades, forts and strong villages ; in more 

 settled times they have been chiefly used as hedges bordering highways 

 and lines of railway. Vigour of growth therefore has been the only quality 

 considered in selecting plants within any particular area ; the nature of 

 the fibre has not till recently attracted attention." In selecting stock 

 there would seem to be every likelihood that it may be possible to discover 

 two plants with equally (or nearly equally) good fibres, the one of which 

 would poll in seven to twelve years, the other not till much later, say 

 twenty-five years. There would be an obvious advantage in the latter, 

 namely the greater number of years before the estate would have to be 

 completely renewed. 



Technical Reports on Indian Samples of Fibre. Two samples of 

 Indian so-called American Aloe Fibre (or what were believed at the time 

 to have been such) were in 1893 examined and reported on by the 

 Director of the Imperial Institute, London. These had been procured 

 in 1891 by the Government of India from Saharanpur in the United 

 Provinces, and by Thurston (Off. Reporter on Economic Products) from 

 Coimbatore in the Madras Presidency. [Cf. Agri. Bull., Mod., 1894, No. 30.] 

 Mr. Collyer of Messrs. Ide & Christie (the expert consulted) reported very 

 favourably on both samples, and in consequence a series of questions 

 were asked by the home authorities which were circulated to persons 

 known to be interested in Agave fibre. The late Mr. Gollan, among others, 

 replied to the questions and thereby afforded more direct and personal 



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