177 
“eld hon os life of the old plants is about to terminate, which 
t be e if the plants are growing over the field irregularly. 
Sake of lela than 15 inches are not planted. 
MANAGEMENT OF THE CROP. 
Cuttin ting.—In Yucatan the vane one err in five to see years. 
In the Bahamas the Bahama Hemp matures in three to five y 
To neglect cutting the leaves after the plant is a. retails its 
growth, which causes it to “ pole,” at the appearance of which the life 
of the plant i is ended, and the planter, after reaping a few leaves only, 
must then plant his fields afresh. On the other hand, when the cutting 
is regularly attended to, the life of the plait i is prolonged, the plant will 
produce a greater number of leaves, and fibre of a greater length and 
superior quality, 
The plant is cut every three months, when seven to nine leaves are 
gathered. The leaf is taken from the plant with a “clean cut,” making 
the cut down and inward at an angle of 45 deg. 
Cleaning.—As soon as the leaves are cut they are taken to the 
machine for cleaning. The cleaning is so arranged that one-half of 
the leaves to be cleaned is taken from the cuttings Of the day previous, 
and the other half from the cuttings of the same day, as in this manner 
the work can be commenced early in the morning, and steadily carried 
r leave in from the field. T 
leaves are not allowed to accumulate beyond half a day’s cleaning, 
for if left to dry beyond the second day they become hard, and the fibre, 
when extracted, will T ae rk, 
en the Ra aspador sed for extracting the fibre two operators are 
required ; one stands “ prer left of the wheel and the other to the right. 
The operator on the left taking a leaf fastens the small end with a lever 
to prevent the whole of it being drawn into the machine; the larger end 
_ is inserted and cleaned ; the other operator then hauls out and reverses 
the leaf, putting in the uncleaned end, at the same time taking a turn 
with the cleaned end of the leaf around a brass cleat which is fitted to 
an: e 
pressure required for cleaning the leaf, finally drawing out the clean 
fibre. In this manner 14 leaves per minute, or 8,400 leaves, are cleaned 
f 
with the Villamore, Prieto, or other automatic 
one-half of the leaf, the chain taking it along, where another wheel 
=e the other half, ape then throws out the clean fibre at the Neg 
- Twom a boy are employed at the machine, one 
oie! that the leaves enter the machine on their length, and that ais s 
not ride one on the other ; one to attend to and regulate the machine, 
e a the boy to receive the fibre as it is brought out by the endless 
As 8 soon as the fibre is extracted it is dried, for if allowed to remai 
without being exposed to the sun immediately after cleaning it shearers 
dark and pe otted. 
Yie 
-° Acre.—The yield oe fibre from an acre of Henequen is 
from ] ,000 Tbs. tol a lbs. aie um. The number of plants usually 
set out in an acre is 650 a an average of 33 leaves from each 
plant, and from 50 n "70 Ibs. of clean fibre to the 1,000 leaves. Making 
an average calculation of 650 plants to the acre, 33 leaves from “each 
8895 
