24 
on cars, drawn by mules or oxen, the henequen was taken to the mill, 
and the waste was taken away.” 

A Sisal Hemp Plantation in Yucatan. 
As ws be seen from the above wood-cut a Sisal hemp plantation 
should be systematically laid out, and to work it m it is 
CEREN it should consist of a tolerably e as d T insisted 
in regard to " e plantations in Florida “ that. sisi mra 
will not pay. large tract is necessary for the scobotden 
« duction of fibre, so that the work of cutting the leaves and shipping the 
“ fibre may be systematically continued for th T part of the year.” 
s the weight of the green leaves is so large in proportion to the 
yield of fibre, their conveyance from distant parts of the plantation to 
the factory must involve considerable labour and expense. For instance, 
if every 100 tons of green leaves will yield only about 23 to 84 tons of 
dry marketable fibre, it is evident that an immense quantity of useless 
pulp has to be conveyed to the factory and disposed of as dir easi 
as the cireumstances will admit. 
Fibre estates should therefore be established on moderately level 
ground where light portable railways could be laid, or on moderatel 
tropies and in conveying "heavy perishable material to a central point 
would appear to be generally applicable also to Sisal hemp estates. As 
in sugar so in. Sisal hemp, the advantage will ultimately rest with such 
estates as are able to reduce their working expenses to the lowest point 
and compete —Q with the produce of countries like Yucatan and 
the Philippin 
