SISAL HEMP 29 



The weight of the leaves varies, but three test runs on the 

 Irene machine gave the following results : 1,000 leaves, 

 weighing 900 lb., produced 50 Ib. of clean fibre, loss in bagasse 

 12 oz. ; j,ooo leaves, weighing 1,050 lb., produced 62^- lb. of 

 clean fibre, loss in bagasse 12^ oz. ; 1,000 leaves, weighing 

 1,350 lb., produced 87^ lb. of clean fibre, loss in bagasse 14 oz. 



Fig. i shows a model plant operating in Mexico, where 

 125,000 to 150,000 leaves are cleaned per day of ten hours by 

 the Prieto Irene No. 21 Machine, of which two views are given 

 in figs. 2 and 3. The leaves can be carried, in the most con- 

 venient manner, to the machine and be deposited in bundles of 

 fifty leaves on the table. The elevator arms will take up the 

 bundles to the top and drop them upon a rather steep incline, 

 where the strings which hold the bundle are removed and 

 the leaves drop on the less inclined table, where they are spread 

 and pushed along until the feed chains which pass the leaves 

 into the machine are reached. The machine passes the leaves 

 automatically from one disc to the other, and the clean fibre 

 is delivered at the rear end. A piece of wood, similar to the 

 rail of a stairway, is placed near the rear disc, and a boy 

 attends to transfer the fibre from the disc to the rail. As 

 this rail is sharply inclined, the fibre slides down to the lower 

 floor, where it is received by the men who take it to the drying 

 racks. 



Fig. 4 shows an hydraulic press used for baling the fibre 

 for exportation. 



