FIBER PLANTS 171 



which the process is reversed to permit the removal of the pulp 

 from the portion of the leaf first clamped by the machine. 

 After decortication the fiber is at once dipped in water and 

 spread out to dry. In periods of extreme drought the leaves 

 may become so dry that the pulp is not readily removed from 

 the fiber. In such cases decortication is assisted by a small 

 stream of water allowed to flow upon the leaves while passing 

 through the machine. 



The fiber when dry is pressed into bales usually of 600 

 pounds' weight. Well-cleaned sisal fiber in the bale is an ex- 

 tremely attractive product. The waste pulp obtained in decor- 

 ticating sisal leaves has been fed to cows in a few localities, 

 but is extremely acid and unpalatable material. The pulp is 

 useless as a source of alcohol for the reason that the percentage 

 of fermentable matter in it is too low. The acid in sisal is 

 lactic acid and the percentage increases from the base to the 

 tip of the leaves. This acid is so corrosive that the parts of 

 the decorticating machine which come in direct contact with 

 the juice are made of gun metal to resist corrosion. The acid 

 juice is also injurious to the skin and the workers are provided 

 with rubber gloves. 



The wholesale price for sisal in recent years has ranged from 

 4 to 8 cents, while the cost of production is about 3 cents. 

 Since an acre yield is not above 600 pounds per year it will 

 be seen that the acre return from sisal is very low and that 

 the margin of profit is extremely narrow. For this reason 

 sisal is a profitable crop only when grown in large areas. 



As compared with sisal, henequen lives longer but brings 

 a lower price on the market. The leaves have spines along 

 the lateral edges, while sisal leaves do not, and these spines 

 furnish some difficulty in handling and decortication. Hene- 

 quen, on the other hand, gives a larger yield, sometimes as 

 much as 1,200 pounds of fiber per acre per year. 



Mexico produces 120,000 tons of henequen annually. 

 True sisal is produced chiefly in the Bahamas, East Africa, 



