62 TEXTILE FIBRES. 



The cost of production of Sisal hemp is from 4 to 6 cents per lb., but 



at times it has reached the abnormal price of 21 cents per lb., packed 



and shipped in Progreso. 



The following table shows the exports of henequen fibre from Progreso 



during the three years of 1896-98, giving the number of bales and 



their destination : 



1896. 1897. 1898. 



United States . . . . 371,874 400,030 411,138 



Great Britain .... 13,542 7,311 3,678 



Spain 3,817 3,701 956 



Germany 2,924 3,101 850 



Belgium 2,211 1,937 175 



Cuba 1,945 2,136 1,600 



France 850 1,609 550 



Italy 150 25 



Total 397,163 419,975 418,972 



Note. The English ton may be calculated at about 6 bales to the ton. 



The cleaning of Sisal fibres has caused many machines to be brought into 

 notice. In June 1892, Consul Thos. J. M'Lain reported on fibre-cleaning 

 machines used in the Bahamas as follows : " The machines hitherto in use 

 are of English manufacture principally, and they do not seem to have satis- 

 factorily met the requirements of the case. In using these machines the 

 leaf is presented to a scraping wheel, which removes the gum, etc., from 

 about three-fourths the length, leaving the fibre cleaned from that portion. 

 The leaf is then withdrawn, and the other end is presented to the wheel 

 and cleaned in the same manner. The cleaning of each leaf thus requires 

 two handlings by the operator, making the entire process tedious and 

 expensive. The method is unsatisfactory, and persons interested have 

 been looking for something better in this line. During the month of 

 June 1891, two Americans arrived in the colony, bringing with them 

 and introducing a new automatic fibre-cleaning machine. These gentle- 

 men were Messrs. T. Abbee Smith, of Baltimore, and W. A. Keene, of St. 

 Louis, the former being the patentee of the machine. It was announced 

 that on 25th June the public would be invited to witness the operation 

 of the machine ; and on that day a large number of persons interested in 

 the fibre industry were present, including representatives from many of the 

 out islands, where the largest plantations are being cultivated. Consider- 

 able difficulty was experienced in getting the machine running to good 

 advantage, owing to the fact that the somewhat old steam plant used was 

 defective, and the pulleys and belts were not of proper size, width, etc. 

 But, despite these drawbacks, the operation of the machine was decidedly 

 satisfactory, and nearly all present were of the opinion that, upon the 

 proper conditions, the machine would easily do all that was claimed for 



