A WINTIOU MSIT TO THE liAllAMA ISLANDS. 225 



A new aud appnroiitl^^ a prosperous industry seems in a fair 

 Avay of being created in the cultivation of Sisal hemp, whicli, if it 

 proves as successful as it now bids fair to be, will afford a certain 

 aud remunerative employment for large numbers of willing hands 

 that can now find employment for not more than half the time. 



What is known as the Sisal fibre of commerce is the product of 

 the "Henequen" plant of Yucatan, which was introduced into 

 Florida as the Agave Sisniana, but is probably the Agave 

 Americana. The plant which produces a similar but better 

 quality of fibre in the Bahamas is there called the Pita plant. It 

 is an Agave growing to the height of six feet, with stout, fleshy, 

 pale green leaves, smooth upon the edges, with the characteristic 

 stout thorn upon the end ; it is entirely different from the Sisal or 

 the Cuban fibre-plant, the Sanseviera. 



The Pita plant is indigenous to all the islands and has hitherto 

 been noted as a prevalent, obnoxious, and persistent weed which 

 grew anywhere, with or without encouragement, even on the tops 

 of old walls aud, wheu once established, dominated and crowded 

 out all other plants. These are exceedingly desirable qualities, as 

 most useful plants require care and constant cultivation to pre- 

 serve them from the encroachment of others that are useless or 

 noxious. 



Individuals aud stock companies have entered with much enthu- 

 siasm and apparent success upon the cultiyatiou of this plant, and 

 there are now 4,200 acres in growing plantations stocked with 

 2,633,000 plants, with 1,330,000 plants in reserve in nurseries. 

 The plantations brought more particularly to my attention were 

 those of the Munro Fibre Co., Abaco, with 1,100 acres at Green 

 Turtle Cay and 200 more on the Island of New Providence, 

 planted with 750,000 plants and 300,000 more in the nurseries ; 

 and that of Mr. D. D. Sargent, at luagua, with nearly 200 acres 

 planted with more than 100,000 plants aud as many more in 

 nurseries, with several hundred acres in preparation for planting. 

 Capt. H. C. Lightbourn, of Nassau, has a fine plantation of 

 several hundred acres, having cocoa-nut trees mingled with his Pita 

 plants. He has probabl}^ 250,000 growing plants and is success- 

 fully producing an excellent quality of fibre. 



The next season's crop in the Bahamas should exceed 2,500 

 tons, wheu it will be demonstrated whether the culture is to be 

 commercially successful. 

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