i84 
“say that by cutting only the mature leaves the growth of the plants is 
“ not weakened,and | thus large fine leaves are obtained, yielding long fibre 
“ of the finest quality. But I have never heard the idea expressed that 
“ longs the life of the plants to its natural limits. It comes to this, that 
“ what is said not to shorten the life of the plants i in Mauritius is said to 
“lengthen it in Yucatan—a case of arriving at the same a from 
“ opposite directions.” ] 
LIV.—WEICHER’S FIBRE EXTRACTING 
- MACHINE. 
[K. B., 1893, pp. 141-144.] 
This fibre-extracting machine is constructed by J. J. Weicher, i” 
Liberty Street, New York. It is now on trial in this country un 
Mr. Weicher’s supervision at the 7 Works, Printing House rt 
oad, London, N.E. chief interest at the present 
leaves of the Sisal Hemp plant, so largely planted at the Bahamas and 
elsewhere. This brief per is therefore almost entirely confined to the 
treatment of leaves of this so 
Recently, accompanied by ‘Sir Alfred aa Governor of British 
Honduras, I accepted an invitation to see the er machine at work 
on Agave leaves obtained from the Riviera. The oy were those of 
Agave americana. They had been cut about a fortnight, and hence 
they were not in the best possible condition for being experimented 
upon. 
The Machine.—The machine consists of a drum fitted with beaters, 
and a feeding table mounted on an iron frame ee 14} feet long and 
24 feet wide. The whole structure is of iro Bited with beaters 
m s 
‘Mauritius, and the “ Raspador ” of Yucatan, The leaves, as in these 
machines, are presented endwise, and are cleaned by the beaters attached 
to the drum. About one half of each leaf is cleaned at one time. It is 
necessary to — the position of the leaf before the other half can be 
cleaned. ere is, however, no reverse action, and in this respect the 
bi sine —— possesses an advantage over other machines of the 
The p, eed Table.—The feed table consists of an endless band 
osed vi flat iron laths fastened across two iron chains. The band 
