Dec. 1, 1899.] THE TEOtlCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
421 
a fibre as the one known as sisalana. As a matter 
of fact they are the same plant ia every particular, 
with the exception that longifotio is armed with 
Bide teeth which renders it more diiiiciilt to han- 
dle and cannot be conveniently planted so closely 
as the sisalana variety, which is wholly, or almost 
wholly, destitute of side teeth, and only armed with 
a sharp spino at the point of the leaf. There are 
several other -varieties of the ngida type cultivated 
in Yucatan, and also some varieties of the Furcroyas 
and the fibre all goes under the name of Sisal. 
But although the produce of these different plants 
go nnder this name in the market, they are of 
different value, and the fibre of Agave rigida var 
sisalana is now recognised by experts as producing 
the very best agave fibre for white ropes, and which 
is only second to real Manilla hemp itself, and 
some iassert that in some instances it is even 
superior and commands a better price than the 
latter. 
One of the Kew papers upon vegetable fibres states 
that in the report on fibre plants by the late Director 
of the Botanical Department, Jamaica, it is mentioned 
that with regard to the value of Agave rigida and 
its allied forms as the sources of the sisal hemp of 
commerce, there were two important points deser- 
ving attention. The first was the universal increas- 
ing demand which exists in all countries for this 
fibre ; and the second was the drought-enduring 
character of the plant and the simple and economical 
treatment which it requires at the hands of the 
cultivator. It has been stated that in regularly -planted 
areas there should be 400 plants to the acre; but 
it should be pointed out that this statement applies to 
Yucatan, where the majority of the plants under 
cultivation are fully armed with side teeth and 
cannot be planted closely. The selected variety, 
which was named sisalana by Dr. Perrine can be 
planted very much closer, and it is said by those 
who have tried this variety in India that 6 feet 
between the plants in the row and 8 feet between 
the rows gives ample room for the full develope- 
ment of the leaves which can be easily harvested 
owing to their being unarmed. Young plants from 
1 foot to 2 feet high when planted commence to 
yield in the fourth year. It has been stated that 
the same plants continue to yield for fifty or sixty 
years. It may be said at once that no reliance 
should be paid to such a statement. Their yielding 
period is between their fourth year and the time 
they flower, and that period may only be four or 
five years, and it may extend to twelve or fifteen 
years. The great rule to be kept constantly in practice 
13 to plant a young sucker whenever a plant com- 
mences to yield leaves. The leaves of the older 
plant will in no way interfere with the growth of 
the younger one underneath, as whenever the leaves 
of the big plant come down to a horizontal position 
they are ripe for cutting, and the leaves left on are 
always more or less pointing upwards. Where young 
plants are planted for the first two or three years 
they will grow suckers from their roots. These ought 
to be always removed, as they take strength from 
the parent plant. If they are put in a nursery by 
themselves they will always be there ready to plant 
when required. If this supplying rule be strictly 
observed there can be no reason why a plantation 
will not last twice fifty or sixty years, as the agave 
is really a "scrub jungle," and the roots of plants 
which have polled are in a continual state of decay, 
and by adding humus to the soil through the pro- 
cess is really one of Nature's land reclaimers. 
To give some idea of the probable returns from a 
sisal hemp plantation it may be stated that each 
plant from 4 to 6 years old is found to yield on an 
average 25 to 35 leaves per annum, and these leaves 
will give IJ lb. of clean fibre ; this amount has been 
actually got by hand clearing, from leaves grown 
upon waste land in Assam. Bight hundred plants 
to the acre of the smooth-edged sisalana variety will 
~ not prove a single plant too many, and this would 
mean 1,200 pounds of clean fibre to the acre. This 
paay Ibe taken as a fair calculation j much depends 
upon how the plantation is planted and the details of 
management. 
COST OF GROWING. 
The actual cost of growing and preparing the fibre 
would naturally vary according to the locality in which 
the plantation was situated, but in any part of India 
it must be very much cheaper than it is in the West 
Indies, where the price of labour is so much higher. 
The land upon which the agaves are grown in Yucatan 
is of a gravely, stony and in some places of rocky 
character, and they thrive best and give most fibre 
in comparatively arid districts. Moist or rich land 
is considered unsuitable, and it has been proved in 
this country that, although the plants grow luxuriantly 
upon such lands, the yield of fibre is comparatively 
small and of less strength than it is when grown 
upon what is usually called barren or useless land, 
HARVESTING. 
The proper time to harvest the leaves is when they 
have nearly come down to a horizontal position on 
the rosette. But the leaves take no harm if they are 
left on the plant for three months after coming to 
this position so long as they are cut before they 
commence to turn yellow, as after this the fibre i8 
apt to be discoloured which detracts ifrom its appear- 
ance and consequently its value. As the leaves are 
not ripe till they come down to the horizontal posi- 
tion or nearly so, it is always the outer leaves 
which are cut first. The leaves are cut and made 
into bundles of 50 each, and 30 such bundles ia reck- 
oned a fair day's task when carried out to the 
edge of a cart road. The machine should be placed 
near a supply of water, and one machine (of the 
latest invention) is ample for 200 acres. After 
the fibre has passed through the machine, it ia hung 
up in the sun and thoroughly dried, but care must 
be taken that none of the green juice ia left on the 
fibre when exposed to the air, or it ia bound to be 
discoloured. If a high degree of whiteness is de- 
sired it is left out all night to bleach and during 
next day carefully turned. The fibre ia made into 
bales by means of a screw press, and great care is 
taken to have these bales as tidy as possible, and 
the fibre ought to be kept straight in the bales. 
Proprietors of gardens are reticent of risking money 
in experiments, but, aa far as can be judged from 
the data available, those who have land lying idle 
upon which they have to pay rent will be consulting 
heir own interests by giving this industry their 
careful study and attention — L. in Calcutta paper, 
« . 
The British Tea-Industry : A Eeply to 
"SuuM CuiQUE." — An excellent reply to the 
letter of " Suum Cuique " appears on page 418, 
and a notable suggestion is made for the 
keeping ol prices up to a proper level. It 
is surmised that if a body of proprietors (in- 
cluding Companies) could be formed, each 
subscriber subscribing accordins- to his 
property, to enable prices to be maintained 
at a high level when the dovpnward tendency 
became marked, such prices would not sink. 
The qualifications of the "Planters' Pro- 
tection Society," as it is named, are further 
detailed ; and it is shown that this body 
could withhold supplies when there was a 
rush of imports, and sell them again at a 
profit when deliveries became lighter. 
(Some pungent remarks on Warehouse 
Charges are also made, and we commend 
these to the attention of the Planters' Asso- 
ciation, which we yet hope to see directing its 
main attention, ten days hence, to this topic, 
while submitting the Tea-Duty pro forma. 
for disciission as invited by our Indian 
friends. "Director" shows some of the 
difficulties of the attack. Will not some 
planter's ingenuity come to the rescue "vyitU 
a plan of campaign ? ^ 
