i invited, as the early poling will gravely affect the l 



Dear Sir, Abaco, Bahamas, July 20, 1893. 



The interest shewn by your department in the fibre industry <>f 

 this Colony, and the valuable information you have alrea ly nlfordod in 

 connexion* with the plant, have prompted' me to submit the following 

 questions, which deal with points •>!' prime importance to those engaged 

 in its cultivation. In fact I do not know to whom else to apply, for our 

 plant is undoubtedly different from that commonly grown in Yucatan, 

 and no one in the Bahamas seems able to speak with certainty upon the 



Our plant, or " Bahamas Hemp '"as it is now termed, is an Agave 

 with dark green leaves, which are spineless except for a thorn at the 

 tip. From all account, it is identical with the " Yaxci" of Mexico. 



1. The life of the " Sacqui," which is that generally grown in Yucatan, 

 is said to be from eight to 16 years after cutting ha* been begun. Can you 

 tell me whether our variety enjoy- a- long a life or not? 



2. Do Agaves put out during their life a certain fixed number of 

 leaves, the normal quantity varying but little between plants of the same 

 species, or is there no regular limitation in this respect? 



3. If the output of leaves on a plant is variable, would cutting them 

 as they mature be likely to increase it. and. judging from analogy or 

 otherwise, ought the cutting to be made seseral times u war or at any 



•■ life, of the plant by retarding its poling? 



[t may seem strange to ask for mi. h information when we have the 



plant here growing under our cye>. but it is only now reaching the 



cutting stage on most of the plantations and where it has been longer 



established there unfortunately does not -cent to have been much ohsor- 



You can easily perceive the necessity we are under of obtaining a 



The Dir 









(Signed) J. 



Gordon. 



Royal 



(ia 



rdens, Kew. 







Royal 



<; 





Kew, to Mr. Ai 



Royal Gardens, 



s, M.P, 



Dear Mr 









August 



18, 1803. 



AY n 





your b 





it Kew he left/with 







;pe< 



■tii.gth, 





ints of the Y«xci 









ta the ■ 



'Bahamas Pita" 







lie also a-: 



: ,vd 



whethe 



r anything could 1 



>e done by processes of cultiva- 









ing or the appes 



rance of 'the Howe 





which, i: i- 





,11 kno« 



na, marks the dura 



rfion of the life of tl 



te plant. 



