FIBRES. 143 



interesting, and may be given briefly as follows : When 

 the war broke out between England and Russia, one of the 

 sources of hemp namely, from Russia was stopped ; the 

 Istle, which was known to some Mexican merchants, was 

 suggested as a substitute, and a small trial shipment was 

 made to England. It was soon found, however, that it was 

 unsuited for rope-making. A portion of it having come into 

 the hands of Mr. Robottom, whose name has before been 

 mentioned in connection with Piassaba, he at once suggested 

 its use for brush-making, and purchased the whole consign- 

 ment of about twenty tons that had been shipped from New 

 York to Hamburg. On arrival in this country it was sold 

 for about .28 per ton ; the price soon rose to 85 per ton, 

 falling to 18, and afterwards rising again at the time of 

 the insurrection in Mexico to 140 per ton. The trade 

 afterwards increased very rapidly, and the fibre is now 

 imported in very large quantities, chiefly from Tampico, and 

 used for making scrubbing and nail brushes, whitewash 

 brushes, bath brushes, etc., and at one time it was largely 

 used by crinoline-makers. The source of this fibre was 

 unknown till in 1879 Dr. Parry sent specimens to the Kew 

 museum under the name of Agave Lechuguilla. This, how- 

 ever, has quite recently (Bulletin of Miscellaneous In- 

 formation, Royal Gardens, Kew, No. 12, December, 1887, 

 p. 5) been shown to be identical with Agave heteracantha, to 

 which plant Mexican fibre or Istle must now be referred. 

 The present value of this fibre is stated to be about 26 

 per ton. 



Another Mexican brush fibre, the botanical source of 

 which has been quite recently cleared up, is that known as 

 BROOM ROOT or MEXICAN WHISK. Though it appears to be 

 a comparatively new industry, there seems to be no record 

 when it was first introduced. It is shipped from Vera CruZj 

 chiefly to Germany and France, a small quantity only 

 coming direct to this country. In France, however, it is 



