70 



Bear Grass and Spanish Dagger— {Yucca Filarnentosa 

 and Yucca Aloefolia.') 



ITS VALUE AS A FIBRE AND ITS MODE OF CULTURE. 



It is a native of India, described by Royles in liis work 

 on "Fibrous Plants of India," page 57, published in 

 London in 1875; also "Squire' s Tropical Fibres, their pro- 

 duction and economic extraction," page 61, and is now 

 found growing in all the Southern States and Mexico, is a 

 large spear leaved growth, dark evergreen, the blades or 

 leaves from a half inch to two inches broad, generally 

 about fourteen inches long, and by cultivation can be grown 

 to six feet in length, and contains very valuable fibre for 

 the purpose of making ropes, bagging, matting and all 

 species of coarse cloths. The fibre can be readily obtained 

 by means of a machinery constructed by the undersigned, 

 by means of which the green leaves are thoroughly mashed, 

 and then passing through a process of washing which 

 removes all extraneous substances, leaving the fibre as 

 white as Irish linen and ready for,' market; the waste by 

 cleaning is less than one-tenth. 



SOIL FOR YUCCA. 



The plant thrives best on rich soils, growing to a greater 

 length and stronger fibre, but coarser, and in sandy and 



Eoor clay soil, grows shorter and of a finer quality, and-is 

 nown to grow on the highest "pihey woods" hill, and in 

 the lowest bottom lands. The cocoa or wire grass has no 

 effect on its growth whatever, neither is it affected by over- 

 flow. Anywhere south of thirty-one degrees the first year of 

 planting it will produce two crops per year and yield from 

 fifteen to twenty -five hundred barrels marketable fibre per 

 acre at each crop. 



HOW PLA]!J'TED AND PROPAGATED. 



The yucca is propagated by planting the roots or seed 

 any time in the fall, winter or spring. The yucca aloefolia 

 also may be propagated by planting the stalk cut in 

 pieces and planted like Irish potatoes. The yucca filarnen- 

 tosa has a bulbous root resembling sweet potatoes, and 



