29 
lengths of two or three joints. . These bits are then planted in nursery 
beds, and in a short time each bit will produce as many suckers as there 
are joints. This method has the two-fold advantage of speedily in- 
creasing the supply of the new stock, and relieving the parent plant of 
the pu ort of [s suckers. 
ud in dion em Some have planted as n s 6 feet e 
way, others, 7x 7, 7 x e, Tx x9,8x8,and 9x9. The gc ro ote 
a aco, plant three rows 8 feet apart, with 7 feet interval between 
the plants, and leave a ed of 12 fee 5 Detgroon M dius rth row 
The Bahama Hemp Company, Limited, under Mr. Abbot, 
plant four rows 8X8, leaving a distance of ls feet between every 
fifth r 
nf Many planters have planted the spaces between the Sisal plants 
with some other crop, either ground provisions such as pigeon-peas, 
rn, &c., or cotton. This plan appears to be attended with excellent 
two feet, as the vines very soon cover the field and completely envelop 
the young piana and retard their growt 
* Effect of di rent. soils and aspect | on growth.—l have both read 
and heard it broadly asserted that Sisal will grow and flourish anywhere, 
m matter how Moris c or In poveriahog the land may be. My observa- 
tions, however, do not -confirm h do not mean to convey the idea 
that really good rich land is necessary for its successful cultivation, 
but merely to remove the i if such there be, that the plant 
thri ve. in dry arid sand, or on rocky land void of soil. Worn out 
* provision" and pine-apple fields appear to be well eed to its culti- 
vation, while on broken, rocky surfaces, containing innum HW 
* potholes ’ and crevices, in which is deposited the ordinary black o: 
red earth, the plant luxuriates 
* Crop.—The length of time iiral for the production of the 
when i transplanted, “but if t iay be of a suitable size, say from 12 te 15 
be fit to cut, well within the period named. I have seen thousands of 
plants with leaves from 2 to 3 feet rae that had been growing only two 
years ; and I have o seen itn that I was told were three years 
old, from eras leaves had been 
: n A the industry has been so rae begun ; but sufficient 
approximate accuracy. e number of leaves cut from many plants 
of four years grt and upwards, has given an average of 40 
a yield of 4 per cent. of clean fibre. wer an av of 600 
plants to the aere, and 40 leaves * *. * ach plant, ye yield 
would " 36,000 Ibs. of leaf and 1,440 lbs. o eie fibre. If the. 
esti be reduced to 35 leaves, there will be 31,500 lbs. of leaf and 
1,260 ibs. wet fibre, and this is certainly a very modest estimate. To 
