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480. The general rules to be observed in planting all 

 agaves are": (i) Plant about 400 suckers to the acre, 8 feet be- 

 tween rows and 6ft. between plant to plant. If a smooth edged 

 variety is chosen plant closer, i.e., 800 to the acre. (2) When- 

 ever a leaf assumes the horizontal position cut it out for extrac- 

 tion of fibre. (3) The cutting out of leaves generally com- 

 mences from the fourth year after planting and it goes on until 

 the plant flowers which it does in 7 to 15 years. (4) All 

 suckers should be removed from the bases of plants as soon 

 as they appear as they weaken the main plant. They may be 

 planted in a separate nursery to be afterwards transplanted 

 into the field. (5) Planting of suckers between the older 

 plants for renewing the plantation should commence as soon 

 as leaves begin to be cut, that the plantation may be 

 always in full bearing. (6) Each plant after 4 or 5 years 

 should be divested only of 25 to 35 leaves per annum, a 

 quantity which will yield i Ib. to i| Ibs. of clean fibre. If 800 

 plants are planted per acre as much as 1200 Ibs. of clean fibre 

 can, therefore, be obtained per acre. (7) The leaves should 

 be made into bundles of 50, and each labourer should produce 

 daily 30 such bundles. (8) Rich, moist good soils should 

 not be chosen for growing agaves, as such soils are only wast- 

 ed on this crop. The growth is luxuriant, but the fibre on such 

 soils is weak, and if there is water-logging the plants perish. 



481. The Indian aloe. The fibre of the common Indian 

 aloe (Agave lurida) being strong and not subject to the attack 

 of white-ants, is largely used for cordage, house-mats &c., 

 and in London the fibre fetches 20 to 30 per ton. In 

 Mauritius where the soil is getting exhausted by continuous 

 cropping with sugarcane, agave planting has been intro- 

 duced as a new and profitable industry. What is known 

 as " Mauritius hemp" is the fibre of an aloe (Fourcroya 

 gigantea). The ordinary Indian aloes grow on the most 

 arid soils and unless water-logging takes place it grows 

 anywhere without trouble. The planting is done 5 or 6 feet 



