413 
United Salers and the low price o of the ey o consequen in a pas 
cleaned perfectly, at the smallest sible amount of waste (Kew 
Bulletin, 1894, p. 189). There can be but little doubt that this machine 
will be universally adopted, as, besides its efficiency, it is cheaply 
operated, a woman to feed the machine with leaves, another to remove 
the finished fibre, being all the labour attendant on this process. It has 
been for some time a subject of much thought as to how the smali 
cultivators were to utilise their labour where, as in the great majority of 
lantings too limited to admit of the 
cost of a machine. A satisfactory som. however, has now been found 
which will bea great boon to this class and will bring the blessings of 
the industry home to the humblest peasant in the Colon ny. The process 
is as simple as it is available to all, and consists of a slit being made in 
the thick end of the leaf, when it is torn asunder, leaving the inner part 
exposed, and by then soaking it in salt water, which is never far to reach, 
in about a week the pulp may be removed by hand and the fibre 
preserved. No waste whatever is found in this method ; and it is under- 
There has always been a certain amount of speculation as to the 
effects of hurricanes on the fibre fields, and though the plants are so 
hardy, the idea was in some degree a disturbing one. ‘The question has 
been satisfactorily tested. In August last, as well as in October 
the Bahama Islands were visited with hurricanes which did considerable 
damage fo various kinds of property. In one or two cases fibre fields, 
by unusual — of the tides, were laid under water, and it was sup- 
posed that in these instances much injury had been done to the plants, 
In all other pn though exposed to the force of the storm, the plants 
their power of resistance was thus 
merged 
ey finally recovered to t extent, and they are now being " 
producing a fibre not much inferior to the best, but classed as No. 2, 
use of some small s og discoloured — detracts 
1 unds of leaf yielding not more than four or five Sociis of 
fibre. Of the large plantations one has over 5,000 acres under cultiva- 
tion, one about 3,000, oue 2,000, and two others 1,000 acres each. e 
smaller farms are from 900 to about 700 aeres. Now wd a standard 
