iSo CORDAGE FIBRES 



of a form of Agave rigida (Kew Bulletin, 1892, p. 36), 

 and it was evident, therefore, that at some time or 

 other the Sisal hemp plant had been introduced into 

 West Africa. It is not improbable that the agave 

 would be well adapted to cultivation in some parts of 

 the country. 



A small sample of Sisal hemp was forwarded from 

 Sierra Leone to the Imperial Institute in the early 

 part of 1907, and consisted of fairly lustrous fibre 

 which was well cleaned and prepared, and was of fair 

 strength, but of somewhat uneven colour and only 

 22-27 inches long. The product was regarded as 

 worth about 28-^30 per ton, but if it had had a 

 length of about 4 feet its value would have approxi- 

 mated to that of Mexican Sisal hemp, which was then 

 quoted at about 35 per ton. 



Experiments in Sisal hemp cultivation are being 

 made in the Northern Territories, Gold Coast, but the 

 plants are not yet ready for cutting. 



During recent years, Sisal hemp has been grown 

 on a small scale in Togo ; a consignment exported in 

 1912 was considered to be equal in quality to the fibre 

 produced in German East Africa. Experiments on 

 the cultivation of the Sisal agave have also been 

 carried out in Dahomey, and in Senegal and the French 

 Sudan. 



ZAPUPE FIBRE 



Reference may be made here to a fibre closely 

 allied to Sisal hemp and known as " Zapupe " fibre. 

 The name " Zapupe " has been applied to several 

 species of Mexican agaves, of which A. Zapupe and A. 

 Lespinassei are the most important. The former is 

 known as the " blue Zapupe " or " Estopier," whilst 

 the latter is the " green Zapupe " or " Tepezintla." 

 The fibre has lately been produced on a commercial 

 scale in the neighbourhood of Tuxpam and also in the 

 northern parts of Vera Cruz. It is claimed that the 

 plant bears leaves ready for cutting at a much earlier 

 age than the Sisal agave, that it gives a larger yield 

 of fibre per plant, and has a greater longevity. The 

 fibre is of excellent quality and equal in value to Sisal 



