106 CORDAGE FIBRES 



growers, and the plants have been imported to the other 

 colonies of Australia, New Guinea, Fiji, and the Solomon 

 Islands. The principal part of these consignments consists 

 of the Sisalaneous plant botanically known as Agava rigida, 

 and the remainder is Merva sanseveira lelelaucia, or bow-string 

 hemp. The latter variety is not much cultivated outside the 

 Bahamas, owing to the difficulty of treatment, but the Sisal 

 species has been very largely grown in Queensland for the 

 past fifteen years as a commercial industry. At the early 

 stages of hemp culture the fluctuation of its market value 

 was a great drawback to the industry. The present market 

 value is fairly stationary at ^"40 per ton. The cultivation of 

 sisal hemp is profitable and very applicable to poor lands. 

 There is very little labour required in planting sisal or any of 

 the fibre-producing cacti. The planting resembles that of 

 sugar-cane. Rows are made about 8 ft. apart, and the plants 

 are placed from 4 to 6 ft. from each other, in holes usually 

 sunk by a mattock to the depth of from 8 to 12 in., where the 

 soil or nature of the land will permit. The fibre-producing 

 cacti from which the largest quantity of fibre may be obtained 

 are plants grown on barren land, i.e., of a rocky nature. It 

 has been proved that a deep, moist soil produces a lot of pulp 

 and very little fibre in the plant. It takes about 1,000 plants 

 to lay down an acre, the plants taking between three and four 

 years, according to circumstances and conditions, before the 

 crop is ripe for cutting ; when cut, 2 tons per acre is a very 

 good average. The cost of planting, treating, &c., runs with 

 white labour on the Queensland plantations to about ^"17 IDS. 

 per ton. At a market value of ^"40 per ton the crop gives the 

 farmer a fair margin of profit. The plant is exceptionally 

 hardy, and can endure exposure to the sun out of the ground 

 for months, and when replanted springs into life once more. It 

 is claimed to be immune from frosts, draughts, and the 

 ravages of insects. There is no particular season for harvest- 

 ing. When the leaves are ripe for cutting they will not lose 



