160 
“ having a few unequal, sometimes very stout and sharp teeth.” This 
riL seh eee agrees with that of Agave mye var. sisalana, 
Perrin he plants were then widely distributed at Key West and the 
mir iee coast. They have lately (1891) been carefully examined again 
by Mr. Charles Dodge, with the result already given. 
As the islands of the Bahamas are adjacent to southern Florida, and 
there was regular intercourse between the two places about the time 
of the introduction of the Agave — it was only natural to assume 
that the Agave now so abundant in the Bahamas had been origina 
introduced from Florida. They nad found in the southern islands a 
warmer and more equable climate and had spread rapidly throughout the 
Archipelago. This view has, however, been strongly contested by Sir 
illi i .G., for o 
; h 
the Agricultural "Record of Trinidad, January 1891, p.6. According 
to his Excellency’s view, the Sisal Hemp plant was introduced to the 
Bahamas 2A ne ae Mr. C. Nesbitt, a former Colonial Secretary, who 
“ forty-five 0, viz., in 1845, procured from Sisal, Yucatan, a 
“few h aaa: phints of this are aoe had them set out at his country 
“residence three miles from Nassau.” Further “Mr. Nesbitt was 
“much struck with the vigour of “the plants when grown in New 
“ Providence In 1851 he reduced a great number of the 
“leaves of this plant into wis and placed “samples s of them in the 
“ Nassau Mus At the same time he sent specimens of them to 
“ England, and | received vary “Seviitecakte suites’ in regard to their value 
“from London.’ 
Whether the whole of the Sisal plants now growing in the Bahamas 
been derived from those first introduced by Mr. Nesbitt it is now- 
have 
impossible to say. It is evident, however, that this gentleman was fully 
aware of their economic value, and he deserves great credit for the steps 
he took to bring them into noti E 
The E of Mr. Nesbitt’s introducti tion of Sisal plants into the 
Bahamas is given by Sir William Robinson as 1845. This would be 
about eight years after their first introduction into Florida by Dr. 
errine and about the time the Sear SER were engaged upon the 
Perrine grant to establish regular plantation 
This latter fact may or may not have a barti? upon the q 
There re is, ho ‘ahs -= another point worthy of consideration, and it 
is apparently i not ahs: Flori a and Baha nt, but one with glaucous 
A giar with teeth. This is the form nearly always described 
a plantations in Yucatan, and pl f this are 
almost ietaciably brought from Yucatan as the true thing. The plant, 
"a come pe ves and of a pale green colour, was specially selected by 
r: Perrine from his personal acquaintance with it, while Consul for — 
ampeachy. 
If Mr. Nesbitt also obtained this particular variety for the Bahamas 
direct from Yucatan without the special knowledge of its occurrence 
shire possessed by Dr. Perrine, the circumstance is a singular coin- 
In the meantime, however, while we accept the claims so ably put 
forth by Sir William Robinson on behalf of Mr. Nesbitt, and trust 
that further investigation will confirm the fact that these islands owe 
to a Bahamas man th 
e introduction of a Laer which is calculated to — 
produce so great an infi fut sperity, the probei 
is that the plants-now e Bahamas w re originally y obtained bot 
from Florida as well as pine the intelligent efforts of Mr, Nesbitt. 
EEES 
