310 
term of its life, it is easy to estimate that for profitable culti- 
vation of sisal the area available must be very large. 
The greatest care must be exercised in the choice of a country 
suitable for the growth of the Agave. It is not quite easy to 
lay down general rules with regard to soil and climate. Many 
mistakes have been made here, and thus much capital has 
been lost. Altogether, the cultivation of sisal is by no means 
easy. In conclusion, it should be especially emphasized that 
sisal hemp is, and will probably remain, a comparatively 
unimportant item in the world’s commerce, and that, there- 
fore, too intensive cultivation might easily lead to over- 
production. 
{Drscussion. | 
The Cuairman: Gentlemen—If no one has any remarks to 
make I will thank Dr. Bruck most heartily for his paper on 
sisal hemp cultivation. Although very much interested in 
fibres, I am bound to say it was quite news to me to hear 
that such an important industry was being developed in 
German East Africa. There was one part of Dr. Bruck’s 
paper which struck me as being rather on the pessimistic side, 
namely, where he said that the increase in the production of 
this fibre might lead to a fall in price. That, of course, is quite 
true, and the reasons he gave for his opinion are quite 
intelligible to us all. But if those of us who have been con- 
nected with fibres and have studied the advance in the use of 
fibres throughout the world will think over this question, and 
look at the history of the past twenty or thirty years, we shall 
see, I think, that although there may be times when there are 
lulls in the demand for fibres of various kinds, yet every year 
more and more uses are being found for fibres, and there is 
little doubt that all fibres which foreign countries produce can 
be utilized. And if we look back ten years hence upon what 
has been said to-day as to the extension of the use of fibres, 
we shall wonder why it was said; we shall say we did not 
think their uses would have extended so much. I feel certain 
that in regard to the possibilities of extending the market for 
fibre, whether it is jute, or sisal hemp or any other hemps. 
we have still a very long way to g’o. One factor which will 
make the extended use of the manufactured goods more 
certain is the production of an ample and cheap supply of the 
raw material. That is what we want; cheapness in the pro- 
duction, which will bring down the cost. I am sure that the 
cheaper we can produce these fibres the more extended will be 
the use of them. 
I again, on your behalf, thank Dr. Bruck for his most inter- 
esting paper. 
