62 ON THE APPLICATION OF ALFA OR ESPARTO 



The bundles dried in the fields are collected in bales and brought to 

 the port of embarcation. 



The alfa, in its natural state, is bulky and forms an unwieldy pack- 

 age for ships, although its real density is great, for a kilog. of alfa im- 

 mersed in water, displaces 1165 grammes of liquid only, which gives 

 0.858 for the alfa ; the water being 1000. But, in ordinary bundles, a 

 cubic metre contains only 212 kilog. of alfa, and the maritime ton of 

 lm. 44 cube contains 305 kilog. ; in this state it therefore requires three 

 maritime tons of space for 1000 kilog. 



In Algeria we obtained permission to pack the alfa with Poncets's 

 presses, which are used by the military administration. The press-cases 

 measuring lm. 40 cubic, were uniformly filled with 297 to 300 kilog. of 

 alfa packed with care ; the press turned out a bale of 870 to 880 cubic 

 decimetres. In this state, a ship would receive scarcely 500 kilog. of 

 alfa per ton of space. 



Before my departure for Algeria, M. Cruzel, who was to take part in 

 my proceedings, had made at Paris, and placed at my disposal, 

 an hydraulic press of great power, and arranged in a special manner, 

 for the compression and binding of the alfa. This press could not be 

 forwarded to me in time at Oran, but at Paris it served to make some 

 very precise and practical experiments. The bales turned out by this 

 machine are of a cylindrical form, having a diameter of 60 centimetres, 

 and a length of 85 ; they measure 320 cubic decimetres, and weigh 180 

 kilog. Consequently, 800 kilog. of alfa go to the maritime ton. Each 

 press of this kind will turn out two compressed bales per hour. Reduced 

 to this volume, alfa is no longer an unwieldy package ; it can be 

 stowed easily, and preserves the normal centre of gravity to the ship 

 without increasing the ballast. The cylindrical form of the bales facili- 

 tates the transfer they undergo on the route. 



Until now alfa, considered as cumbrous waste in bundles, has been 

 charged at a high rate of carriage by the railways, and commerce would 

 not resort to this mode of transport, which cost eight centimes per kilo- 

 metre ; and per ton, even when baled, this price is only reduced to six cen- 

 times. But this rate will not be enforced for bales compressed on the sys- 

 tem adopted by M. Cruzel, and myself. These bales are hooped with iron, 

 are not exposed to any damage, do not in any extraordinary manner 

 affect the responsibility of railway companies ; and their stowage, cubical 

 weight, and form, make them similar to goods in bulk, and most con- 

 venient for transport. 



I may now give a summary of expenses arising from the various 

 manipulations of alfa, from its. first collection or separation from the 

 parent stem to its arrival in France, within reach of the mills : 



1. Gathering in April, May, and June, at the rate fr. ct. 

 of 60 kilog. of dry alfa, per day and per 

 labourer, at 2 francs, for 100 kilog. . 3 33 



