52 



USEFUL FIBER PLANTS OF THE WORLD. 



long ton. Wastage not stated. Dr. Morris reduces these yields to equivalents, 

 in Kew Bull.. 1893. p. 207. "Highest possible yield [waste accounted for . 4.6 per 

 cent: yield in Yucatan' with the Baspador. 3.6 pel cent; in Florida (Van Buren 

 machine), 3.5 per cent : in Bahamas (supposed to he Van Buren machine. C. R. 1). . 3.7 

 per cent." Percentage with the automatic machines in present use in the Bahamas, 

 unknown. See figs. 14 and 15, leaves of true and I Ise sisal hemp.) 



Harvesting and preparation. — Little can l»e said on these points from actual 

 experience in our own country. The machinery used in the Government experii 

 in southern Florida was too small and too slow to give a basis lor estimating cost of 

 production. See fig. 17. the Van Buren machine. 



The cutting of the leaves is done in Yucatan by Indians, using a heavy-bladed, 

 saber-like knife called a machete. The task - _ to 2,500 leaves per day. The 



spine at the leaf end is cut off and the leaves bundled for removal to the machine-. 



On large j'lantations the leaves 

 are transported by steam power 

 over tramways running from 

 different x^ortions of the estate. 

 ns. — Complete series 

 illustrating the Government 

 experiments in Florida, Field 

 Col. Mus.: Mus. U. S. Dept. 

 Ag. : U. S. Nat. Mus. 



Agave salmiana. The 

 Maguey Blaudo of 

 Mexico. 



Fiber. — Specimens shown 



in the Mexican exhibit at the 

 Paris Exposition closely re- 

 sembled the fiber of J. anteri- 

 cana : white, wavy, of medium 

 strength. Fiber from a plant 

 of A. salmiana growing in the 

 United States Botanic Garden, 

 extracted by the Department, was coarse, harsh, and wiry, without any of the char- 

 acteristics of Mexican samples. 



Dr. Weber, of Paris, informs me that the maguey, or metl, which is cultivated on 

 the plains of Apam for the production of pulque, bears in Mexico the name maguey 

 manso fxno, and is the A. salmiana; A. potatorum, reported by Antonio G. Cubas, 

 being an error. See J. potatorum. 



• Specimens. — U. S. Vat. Mus. : Mus. U. S. Dept. Ag. 



Agave tuberosa. Cabulla of Costa IJica. See FurcrcBa. 



Fig. 16.— liaspador or Patrnlllo machine used in Mexico. 



Agave vivipara. Bastard Aloe. 



Endogen. Amaryllidacea. Aloedike leaf cluster. 

 Native Mexican name, Theo-metl ; Chouca of the Antilles. 

 Flourishes - thern United States; tropical America: northwest provinces of 

 India. Closely resembles J. virginica, also growing in the United Stal 



Structural Fiber. — Said to be strong and useful. Known as Bombay aloe fiber. 

 "In thej _ ;iber is made from its leaves." {India. Uudh Gazetteer.) Used for 



:id twine in India. 

 * Specimen. — Pot. Mus. Harv. Univ. 



