153 
pite of a considerable sum paid for expenses, was singularly un- 
fortunate. It may be mentioned, however, that Merida, the head- 
pre of the hemp industry in Yucatan, possesses only an unpaid 
Vice-Consul, who is but partially under the control of Her Majesty’s 
Consul at Vera Cruz. It is due to the latter to state that he endeavoured 
to the utmost of his power to assist this establishment; and if he had 
not been so remotely placed the result would have been far more 
satisfactor 
dreited respecting the Sis al Te (Hene uen) Jaden in Yucatan. 
The ariig has -o been very fully treated in the Kew Bulletin, 
and it is only necessary to add a description (with wo odcut) of the 
atoi adopted for Tacrieied the leaves quoted in the Report of the 
- S. Department of Agriculture, p. 25. 
“ This is done by the Indians, who are almost nude, with a stroke of 
the knife, or machete, at the rate of, for one hand, 2,000 to 2,500 
leaves per day. Following the Indian who cuts olf ‘the leaves is an 
Indian woman, who, with a knife, cuts off the spike or thorn-tipped end 
cut, prepare, and get the leaves to the cleaning machines. On all the 
large haciendas visited were little railways into the fields, upon which 
on cars, drawn by mules or oxen, the henequen was taken to the mill, 
and the waste was ice away.” 
5, 
EAD 
¢ 
Ons 
P, 
Ea 
YAT. 
Sa. 
ex 
aso 
y 
D 
$ 
A Sisal Hemp Plantation in Yucatan. 
s will be seen from the above wood-cut, a Sisal Hemp plantation . 
aia be systematically laid out, and to work it ——— ly i it is 
desirable it should consist of a tolerably large area. It has bee 
in ot to fibre jn gs a in Janine that “small plantat w etio 
pay. A e tract is necessary for the panot mical ` 
= pridoeition of fibre, so that the work o cutting the leaves = : 
