18 



It must be borne in mind that there is a great bulk of 

 material to be taken from a plantation. The yield is said to 

 be from 12 to 18 tons per acre, and to get this away it would 

 be necessary to have roadways, as in vineyards, say every ten 

 rows, to gather up the bundles of leaves. 



Time of Planting. 



The most suitable season for planting is autumn, but when 

 that is not convenient early spring may be adopted. With 

 autumn planting, the sets become established by the heat 

 retained in the soil, and will pass the winter over without 

 suffering. Such plants may be also said to save a season's 

 growth, as they are able to take advantage of the full spring 

 season. But spring growth will answer equally well so far as 

 the establishment of the plant is concerned. 



The plant is an extremely hardy one, and will adapt itself 

 to conditions where other plants would perish. In the estab- 

 lishment of an undertaking like this, it is advisable where 

 practicable, to have the soil thoroughly in order, and to plant 

 out in early autumn. 



Gathering the Leap. 



The plant consists of a number of shoots clustered together, 

 each shoot producing a quantity of leaves, which strike up from 

 the centre. The outside leaves when not gathered, wither 

 and die, and are of little value for fibre; but, when gathered 

 annually, they are cut off near the bottom, leaving two or 

 three centre ones uncut. It is stated that those who adopt 

 this system gather an annual crop from the same plants, and 

 the plant itself makes a more rapid growth. This is reasonable 

 and it is well known that any plant deprived of its foliage is 

 checked in its growth for some time. But this system is not 

 universally adopted ; in some cases the whole plant is cut off at 

 one time, centre leaves and all. These are sorted, or graded, 

 at the mill before treatment. 



Where there is a plantation which has been carefully 

 planned out, it is well worth taking every care in preserving 

 it ; and by cutting the outside leaves of each shoot, and leaving 

 the three centre ones, less check will be given to the growth, 

 and an annual gathering will be secured. The leaves should 

 be cut off just below where the green portion terminates, as 

 the soft, thick parts do not work up well with the other portion 

 of the leaf and have to be recut at the mill before treatment. 

 These, when cut, are bound up into sheaves of a size convenient 

 to handle, and are carted to the mill, where they are sorted 

 out ready for treatment. 



