I called century plants. 



_5 years. When once 



the monocarp ered and produced seeds or bulbils 



(pole plants) they die. The following notes refer to the Sacqui (Agave 



rigid,, var. elongata) and to the Yaxci or Bahamas Pita (Ac/an- rujida 



tna) : — 



(a.) Mr. Stoddart says, " the plant (the Sacqui of Yucatan) lasts 

 ". . . for at least 25 years in a cutting state, depending on the soil 

 " and treatment." To renew a plantation after the original" pl:ints have 

 become exhausted, '• il is usual to plant at proper distances, by the sides 

 " of the old plants or between them, young shoots which three years 

 " afterward s », : h < > oh I on. >s ) wil I bo fit f or cutting." 



A new field will thus " be kept up without any loss of time or suspension 

 of work." (Sisal Hemp, it- adaptation to Jamaica, p. 4.) 



(b.) Mr. Stoddart describes the poling as follows: "This happens 

 when the plant has arrived at cutting age and the plants are not cut" 

 ..." When the pole begins to come out and gains a length of about 

 " three or four feet, it is customary to cut it off close without injuring 

 " the leaves. These leaves will then mature and be fit to be taken off 

 " before the plant dies." (I.e. p. 7.) 



(c.) Poling appears to be accelerated (1) by the leaves not being cut 

 when they have arrived at maturity, (2) by the plants being exhausted 

 by numerous suckers allowed to remain around their base, (3) i.v eare- 

 less cutting of the leaves. Stoddart, on this latter point, says : " If the 

 " ?t " '!» • b.i- ) of the leaf be left of any length on the trunk it 

 ■-''-• 



" short oner (I.e. p. 7.) 



^ (d.) Mr. Pierce says : " A hemp plantation in Yucatan lasts for some 

 " 1.5 years ... on good land the crop commences in four years 

 " or earlier, whilst on rocky ground from six years or more." (F O. 

 Report. is<r_>, p. 2.) 



(<?.) Mr. Dodge, discussing the Pita or Yaxci plant of Florida and 



irks thai in one instance, on very poor soil, he noticed 



that " a long row of plants set out 10 years ago to form a boundary 



'• line had hardly made any growth." (Report of C. R. Dodge on " Fibre 



rnv.-iinjHion in the Cnit.-d States." Wa-hin-ton. 1*93, p. 21.) 



Mr. C. T. McCarty of Ankona, Florida. say.- : " With us A, /are sha- 



" iana sends up its pole at seven years on our best lands. ... So 



" far as the plant is concerned the 'poor land' theory has no foundation 



* ; in this locality. Our strongest and finest plants are on our best land." 



, 15.) 



(/. ) Mr. Merrick Shaw, Polk County, Florida, describes a Sisal Hemp 

 plant mn, r his observation as follows : " The original plant growing on 

 " the soil, of which a sample was sent, poled at seven years old. Twenty 

 " layers of leaves had been cut from I -vest of those 



" remaining mea.Mired o feet \) indies in length by 5 inches in width at 



the broadest part. About 100 suckers had been removed from (the 

 " base of) this plant and planted elsewhere." (Dodge, I.e. p. 17.) 

 u iff-) Mr. Dodge figures and describes a plant with leaves barely a foot 



long, which had thrown up a slender polo to a height of 8 feet or 

 lt more." ^ lie adds: "I was informed by residents on Indian Key 

 " that this premature blossoming of" a young plant or sucker while, 

 hed to the parent root is not of uncomm 



yet attached to the parent 

 (Dodge, I.e. p. 18.) 

 Kew, 16 August 1893. D. M. 



