156 
Worth, I found another fine nursery of perhaps 100,000 plants, the 
property of Mr. A. M. Fields, who is quite enthusiastic on the subject. 
Fully 50 per cent. of his plants are not Agave sisalana, however, but 
a species which was subsequently met with at many points a along the 
east and west coast, as well as on the Keys, doubtless Agave mexicana 
[since determined as A. deci piens]. At Addison’s Landing, near 
Cutter, T found myself on tha. Perrine grant, though g Addison 
informed me that the plants were chiefly growing on his own section, 
i out 
cultivation, and states that these have descended from the comparatively 
few plants which were on the place 25 years ago when he first 
occupied the land. 
“The tained planting, he states, was done by Mr. Charles Howe, 
who was associated with Dr. Perrine. He has both the spined and the 
smoo ved Varieties, but makes the momie a Leas that the 
latter ieaie mn much faster than the form As a matter of fact, I 
found plants of the spined form at this sabe. ee Nats few and far 
between. From this point I sailed southward, but found 
nothing of kius interest until piyes Maissoinbe Key was reached 
where some of the most pal erb plants observed on the trip were poom 
In one thicket, to which it was almost EE to obtain mrg sav 
at the expense of torn clothing and lacerated flesh, magnifice nt plants 
sere seen, where the tips of the a pees two feet rata a man’s: 
ea 
“ Indian Key, mers Dr. Perrine lost his life, lies just below,and beyond 
it is Lower Metecombe. Other Keys o of the grou up are Lignum Vitæ, 
Shell Key, and PEA e eee oo upon all of which the true Sisal Hemp 
plants are found in abundance. A very rough estimate of the old dane 
in this group of Keys would be a hundred thousand, though in making 
the estimate I have relied largely upon. the statements of the intelligent 
hamians living upon them. Superb plants were examined 
by me at Fort Myers, on the Caloosahatchie River, and at other points, 
though se were no such thickets as seen on the Keys.” 
BAHAMAS, 
rec p es t 
Bulletin of the Botanical ae aa Fana Wo 24, October 1891, 
it is peed that 12 months ago there were 4,199 acres ‘of land in the 
d a quarter 
plants in nursery beds ; and from root suckers and bulbils (called pole 
plants) there would be available during the ensuing six months about ` 
m 
two million plants more ording to this peor the total mene 
of Sisal plants actually siting in the Bahama the close of 
ear 1891 would not be far short of six millions. 
The distribution of the ti d the methods 
wA we oper rs pursued in the Bahamas are T aribo in RE following 
onthe peopl of Abaco, Harbour Island, Petes Me Island, Rum Cay, 
Exuma, and Grand Bahama, where the largest n of Sisal plants 
are met with, have for many years past been in the ho Babit of mäktig 6 
small quantity of-rope for home use, from the fibre they extracted from 
