Van Buren machine). .5-5 percent.; vield in the Bahamas (machine 

 not stated), 3-7 percent. 



It is impossible from the Florida experiments to obtain the actual 

 yield of dry fibre per day of ten hours, or the cost per ton in cleaning 

 the fibre. We gather that M no attempt was made to estimate the cost 

 " of cleaning— the main object being to secure thoroughly well cleaned 

 M fibre without regard to the time occupied in passing the leaves 

 " through the machine." 



The Machine Question. — Nothing of a practical character appears to 

 have been accomplished as yet in the United States in securing a 

 thoroughly satisfactory machine for cleaning Sisal leaves. One new 

 machine called the J.C.Todd machine is noticed, ami an illustration 

 given. This is supplied with an aut Blent, and i- 



i somewhat complicated character. No facts are given 

 > its cost, weight, the power required, or capacity. A report on an 



PlNE-APPLE FlBRB. 

 The pine apple is cultivated in Florida for the sake of its fruit, which 

 is exported to the northern markets. The number of fruits shipped 

 during iHfi'j .•uinnniied to nearly two millions " The principal planta- 

 u tions on the Keys are found at Elliotts and Key Largo, though 

 " plantations are found to the southward of these for many miles. On 



" Lake Worth and Jupiter region." Leave- of pine-apple were treated 

 by " the Van Buren machine, which, while it turned out a superb 

 " product, would he wholly inadequate for the work from a commercial 

 " stand point, as only two or three leaves could be fed in at a time." 

 The leaves experimented upon were obtained from plants of the Red 

 Spanish pine-apple. They were cut the day after the fruit was gathered. 

 Many were injured by chafing and brewing. The actual yield from 1,022 

 pounds of leaves was 25 pounds of fibre thoroughly dry. This would be 

 at the rate of about 55 pounds to the ton of leaves, or 25 per cent, 

 nearly; other experiments gave a yield of a little over 40 pounds and 42 

 pounds respectively of dry fibre to the ton of leaves. " Estimating 10 

 '' pine-apple leaves to the pound there would be over 22,000 leaves to 

 " the ton, which, as we have seen, would produce from 50 to 60i>ounds 

 " of dry fibre." 



Bowstring Hemp. 

 The principal and possibly the only species of Bowstring Hemp culti- 

 vated in Florida is Sansevieria quineeim*. The plant figured by Mr. 

 Dodge opposite page 373 of his report is what is regarded a* the broad - 

 leaved variety of this species. It evidently flourishes with great vigour 

 in Florida, for in the experiments at Bis'cayne Bay it was possible to 

 select over a hundred pounds of leaves that averaged 6£feet. and yield- 

 ing fibre 6 feet in length. In general the leaves varied from 1\ feet to 

 to 7 feet. " Careful estimates based on the quantity of Sansevieria fibre 

 " produced in one experiment would give the yield at about 40 pounds 

 " of dry fibre to the ton of leaves. It has been explained that the Van 

 " Buren machine made too large a per-centage of waste. ... but 

 " with only reasonable wastage the yield of fibre per ton should come 



