2 BULLETIN 030, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



an increased demand for these same products, and with world trans- 

 portation disorganized, it was made apparent that conditions might 

 easily arise at any time which would seriously cripple a number of 

 the basic and essential American industries. It was shown that the 

 farmer is now dependent on the manufacturer and that the manu- 

 facturer is equally dependent in many instances on supplies of raw 

 material imported from foreign countries over which the United 

 States has absolutely no control. It was demonstrated beyond ques- 

 tion that action should be taken in this country, wherever such action 

 may be possible, to safeguard our future supply of the raw materials 

 that are essential to the normal operation of our leading agricultural 

 and manufacturing industries. 



THE BINDER-TWINE FIBER SITUATION. 



An illustration of the weakness of our industrial situation with 

 respect to imported raw products is furnished by the conditions exist- 

 ing in the binder-twine industry. 



With an annual production of approximately 2^ billions of bushels 

 of grain crops that are largely harvested by machinery, the Ameri- 

 can farmers require each year about 200 million pounds of binder 

 twine. Without this twine the machines can not be operated, the 

 crops harvested, and the food supply of the country maintained. 



With the exception of very limited quantities, the entire supply of 

 binder twine used in the United States is manufactured from hene- 

 quen and sisal fibers, and more than 90 per cent of the total supply 

 of these fibers imported into the United States is received from 

 Mexico. Henequen production in Mexico is confined largely to 

 the one relatively small State of Yucatan (fig. 1). It is apparent, 

 therefore, that any condition in Yucatan that might result in a 

 material decrease in the output of henequen or any condition of 

 world affairs that might result in the supply of Yucatan fiber being 

 diverted to markets other than those of the United States would 

 seriously affect the production of the most important staple food 

 crops of this country. 



The locations of political disturbances and of military operations 

 during the last six years have not been such as largely to reduce the 

 production or seriously to interfere with the distribution of Yucatan 

 henequen. American manufacturers have been able to obtain the 

 required supply of this fiber, although at prices representing an in- 

 crease of approximately $28,000,000 in the yearly binder-twine bill 

 of the American farmer. There is no assurance, however, that dis- 

 turbances of the future or that increasing industrial competition 

 under peace conditions may not affect both the production and the 

 distribution of this essential product. 



