AGAVES OF THE UNITED STATES. 63 
cleansed, and the fibers well separated, so that they can 
be made into ropes. Each man takes a quantity of these 
fibers, and begins to twist. When the strands are of suffi- 
cient length, they are tied to trees, and the men backing 
away from the trees continue to add fibers and to twist. 
Their work is assisted by small sticks, about a foot long 
and larger and heavier at one end. By fastening the small 
end to the rope close to the hand, the twist made is given a 
greater force by the motion of the heavy end in flying 
round and round. When the ropes are of the required 
length, the loose ends are pegged to the ground and left for 
several days to dry. Professor Tourney Avrites that hun- 
dreds of these ropes were staked out in the camp that he 
visited. 
Of the Agaves native to the United States, the A. Lech- 
uguilla produces the well-known Ixtli, or Tampico fiber, 
renowned for its great strength and durability. The fiber 
is coarse and short, but very tough. It is used in Texas 
and Northern Mexico for making sacks to convey ore from 
the mines, for coarse ropes, brushes, etc. In extracting 
the fiber, the spines and horny margins are removed, the 
leaves are crushed or scraped with knives by hand, and 
then after one or two days' exposure to the sun, the soft 
connective tissue is washed out, and the fibers collected. 
Machinery is now being employed in some places for 
obtaining this fiber. 
The patient and industrious Mayas early recognized the 
value of fibers for domestic purposes, and it can probably 
be proved that they made of fiber an article of exijort. 
From generation to generation the culture of the best fiber- 
producing species has been their chief industry, and it is 
to-day a never f idling source of wealth to the peninsula of 
Yucatan. Their culture has developed several varieties. 
A. rigida elongata, called Sacci or Saqui, by the Indians, 
is their chief dependence. Its fiber is abundant, white and 
flexible. 
Dr. Perrine, when American Consul to Campeachy, 
