28 



CORDAGE FIBRES 



they are scraped by scraping wheels provided with knives, 

 against which a shoe presses the leaf being cleaned. The 

 fibre tapers from the butt to the tip of the leaf, a single fibre 

 being capable of bearing a strain of 9 Ib. 



FIG. 4. 



The quantity of fibre varies from 50 to 75 Ib. per 1,000 

 leaves ; 62^ Ib. being a fair average. Where the planters 

 take good care of the machines and the leaves are specially 

 good, they get from 75 to S^lb., but this is very exceptional. 



