113 
was, however, experienced in extracting the fibre by machinery, without 
maceration, and the results were by no means satisfactory. Several 
samples 
brokers, and the London reports were as follows :—“ Poor dull fibre, 
“ gummy, fair strength, value about 20/.”—“ Almost unsaleable in the 
“ form sent, not well dressed, not good colour, and in some parts rather 
“ tender.” —“ If this was better dressed, it might have a sale here, but 
“ in the present form, when so gummy, it is difficult to form an estimate 
“of it. It comes from one of those plants that suggest the effect of an 
“ alkali upon it for melting away the gum, to see if a better product 
“ could not be produced.” 
It is possible that the Caraguatá may yield fibre more closely resembling 
that obtained from Karatas than from Pinguin. There are specimens 
of leaves and fibre of all three plants shown in Museum No. II. at the 
Royal Gardens, and some samples of Pinguin fibre in this collection 
cleaned by hand are of better quality than those prepared by machinery 
in Jamaica. The fibres obtainable from species of Bromeliacee, includ- 
ing those from the common pine-apple (Ananas sativus), as well as from 
Karatas, Pinguin, and the Caraguatá now under consideration, are all 
of commercial importance ; but, like many others, they require suitable 
appliances for their extraction, and until these are forthcoming they 
ill remain unavailable for any but the most limited purposes. 
In regard to the local utilisation of Caraguatá fibre, the following 
extract is taken from a recent Report by Mr. Arthur Herbert [Foreign 
Office, Annual Series, No. 1,006. Diplomatic and Consular 
Reports on Trade and Finance. Paraguay ] :— 
“The textile plant called Caraguatá abounds and grows naturally in 
every part of the Paraguayan Republic. ; 
“In the year 1879 Messrs. Branlio Artecona and Louis L. Lenguas 
made experiments with machinery that they established in the depart- 
ment of Arroyos y Esterios, having obtained from the Government a 
concession for the working of this product freely for the space of 15 
years in all fiscal lands, and to export the same when manufactured free 
‘This industry did not give satisfactory results, owing to the inex- 
perience of those in charge and the imperfection of the machinery. 
After several fruitless attempts they retired, and their concession 
d 
rope in an unacceptable condition. ; : 
3 i isa sort 'araguatá, and its fibre is of a finer quality 
than that of its congener, but neither of them has obtained any importance 
awakened in this product in European markets, it would seein to deserve 
a more serious study, and the opinion seems to prevail that with 
8895 H 
