1 II'.KR CROPS 4OI 



plant, to which it is closely related. Like the sisal plant, it is adapted to a 

 tropical dry climate and a thin, rocky 1 inn-stone soil. 



"The henequin of Yucatan, Agave rigiJa clongata Baker, the sisal of Hawaii, 

 Agare rigida sisalana Engelmann; and the maguey of the Philippine Islands, 

 recently identified at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as Agave cantula, are 

 very similar plants. All have the short, thick stem; the aloe-like cluster of 

 large, fleshy leaves; and the tall flower stalk, or 'pole,' which bears a large 

 number of small bulbils, or pole plants. The Hawaiian plant differs from 

 that of Yucatan in having a shorter trunk; leaves smooth-edged, or bearing 

 a few unequal teeth; and the fiber less in quantity, but superior in quality. 

 The Philippine maguey plant has a short trunk; leaves from 4 to 6 feet long, 

 from 2^4 inches wide at the base to 4 inches wide at the middle, and about 

 1 inch thick at the base; lateral teeth three-fourths to \ l /4 inches apart; dark- 

 brown terminal spine one-half inch long; and fiber fine, white, and longer, 

 but less in quantity than either the Yucatan or the Hawaiian varieties." 1 



While native of Mexico, it is now grown in a minor way in nearly every 

 province of the Philippine islands. The production of maguey fiber, known 

 in England as manila aloe, is small compared with manila fiber in the Philip- 

 pines, or sisal in Yucatan. The production is increasing, however, and it is 

 believed that by the introduction of sisal breaking machinery to take the 

 place of salt water retting and hand cleaning, the production may be greatly 

 increased, and the quality somewhat improved. It is generally used for the 

 same purposes as sisal, and sells for slightly less per pound. 



VIII. ISTLE 



505. ISTLE or Tampico fiber is produced by four or five different species 

 of plants closely related to sisal growing wild on the arid table lands of 

 northern Mexico, and southern Texas, and New Mexico. There are three 

 types of this fiber recognized namely, (1) Jaumave istle (.Agave lophantha 

 Schiede), 20 to 40 inches long, almost white, and nearly as flexible as sisal; 

 (2) Tula istle (principally from Lamnclla carncrosana), twelve to thirty 

 inches long, coarser, and less flexible; and (3) Palma istle (Agave lecheguilla 

 Torr.), 15 to 30 inches long, coarse, stiff, yellow in color and somewhat gummy. 

 Originally used only for the manufacture of brushes, it has lately been 

 employed for mixing with other fibers in the manufacture of the cheaper 

 grades of twine and larger cordage. 



IX. NEW ZEALAND HEMP 



506. NEW ZEALAND HEMP (Phormiitm tena.v L.), sometimes called New 

 Zealand flax, produces a hard or structural fiber. It has been tried experi- 

 mentally at the California Station, and is sometimes grown on the Pacific 

 coast as an ornamental plant, but has never been grown commercially in 

 America. The commercial supply of fiber comes exclusively from New Zealand. 



1 Dept. Interior, Bureau Agriculture, Farmers' Bui. No 13 (1906), pp. 11, 12. 



