211 
looking. It yields at the rate of 2°05 to 3:15 per cent. by weight of 
green leaf. From experiments carried on at ria under a committee 
appointed by Government, it was found that leaves of Furcraea cubensis 
weighing 3665 pounds yielde d 28 pounds of penis ras ders when 
perfectly dry weighed 74 pounds. This was at the rate o 5 per 
cent. by weight of green leaf. In the ht of the Donia aes this 
plant and its fibre are described as follows :— 
“ Silk grass (Furcraea cubensis). Leaves 5 to 6 feet ‘ong, generally 
“armed with strong prickles, but sometimes unarmed or with few 
s. Common in Jamaica, and might be largely propisi at 
“once. Value of fibre—(a) 287. pier quality, = moig be eeni 
“ (b) fairly oe fair colour, value ab 281. ton; (c) superior 
“to Sisal, and worth Ril. per ton. A ne eit ak quite sufficiently 
toh 
lt may be mentioned here that many Agaves yield fibre, but the fibre 
may, as in the case of the Jamaica Keratto, prove unsuitable for indus- 
trial purposes. The Brokers’ Report on Keratto fibre was—“ little 
5 mip not an even (but a curly) fibre: towy : value 12/. to 14. 
“per ton 
LXVI.—MAURITIUS HEMP MACHINES. 
[K. B., 1890, pp. 98-104.] 
The subject of a hemp has been already discussed. Con- 
siderable interest has been taken in India and the Colonies in the 
production of fibres mer iret ae rope and twine making, for which of late 
years there has been a considerable demand, In connexion with this 
interest numerous inquiries have been addressed to Kew papeling the 
best machines for cleaning the leaves aT — of plants yielding such 
fibres. The plants in most cases hav n various species of Agave, 
Furer ‘aea, Sansevieria, Karatas, Br analia ia, abd other monocotyledonous 
plants whose fibre bundles yield the particular kind of fibre in demand. 
It is well known ai certain fibre machines, more or less effective, 
are in use in Yucatan n the laige z = aep Pe by one or 
known as grein or io ioe whiek have been generally in use in pe 
island for many years, are manufactured in the Colony. These 
exclusively engaged w extracting fibre from the leaves of the Aloës ae 
or feetid Aloe (Furcraea gigantea). The loaves of this grg are very 
similar in size and character to those of Agav e rigida, va . sisalana, 
lately received at Kew from the Bahamas. Pie is little donb that 
the grattes or fibre machines as now used in Mauritius, or with some 
slight modifications, could also be used in the treatment of Agave leaves. 
n any case it was very desirable to obtain exact particulars of the con- 
struction and capabilities of the Mauritius machines. They appear, so 
, to meet the requirements of the Mauritius planters, and, more- 
over, they have been adopted after careful trial with other machines 
which have been ultimately enamine The particulars desired in 
to the machines in use have now been furnished in an exhaustive 
manner by the Government of ramet and they are published in the 
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