FtiB. 1, 1904.] THE • TROPICAL AaRICULTURIST. 
521 
prices. Little Mangabeira, All these descriptions are 
to-day considerably higher than a year iigo. l\Iat- 
togtosso seat a fair average in quality and quantity, 
and it has gone pretty freely to manufacturers. From 
Central America we had "much larger supplies, as 
Colombia sent some considerable quantities (mostly 
heated) ; all these and Ecuador, Tumaco, and Guaya- 
quil well very well, and scrap 3d. dearer than a year 
ago. Some from the Uauca, Magdalena, Nicaragua, 
Guatemala, and Mexico sold well. 
AFBICAN. 
The reduction of 2,400 tons in 1902 wns almost made 
up ; say, total 11,920 tons, against 9,839 tons ; Ben- 
gnela, 1,450 tons against 560 tons in 1902, 1,250 tons 
in 191)1, 1,510 tons ia 1900. and 2,900 tons in 1899. 
Loanda, 980 tons, against 705 tons in 1902 and 730 
tons in 1901 ; the quality has been rather irregular. 
Congo increased to 5,600 to«s, aaainst 5,300 tons 
in 1902 and 5,750 tons in 1901 ; the quality generally 
liked. Considerable increase from the Gold Coast, 
Accra, Lagos, &c., but from the Cameroon?, Sierra 
Leone, Gaboou, supplies are fair, and fcom ths 
Senegal only small. Prices now, compared with a 
year ago, show an advance of 2d. to 7d. per pound. 
Liverpool imports of West African 3,8H0 tono, agiiust 
3,230 tons 1902, 4200 tons 1901 , and 5,140 tons 1900. 
East Coast Africa (Zanzibar, &o.) sent about average 
quantities, red hard being about 7d, dearer, white 4'l , 
and sausage 6d. higher than a year ago. Nyassaland 
sent rather more of good quality, prices shew about 6d. 
advance for the year. Lamn (Mombasa) bill fair supply 
showo 6d. rise. Greatly increased supplies of nice 
quality came from the Soudan; this rubber sells very 
readily. Madagascar in better supply and high prices. 
Rangoon more. Penang sent more, which soli well ; 
prioe to-day for red about 7d. above a year ago ; whites 
and pickings show little advancs. Assam but little, 
and very good demand. Borneo moderate supply and 
not readily sold. Pontianao has sold readily all 
through the year; quality often very interior. French 
Cochiu-China and Lower China (Tonkin) told better 
and in better condition and more liked. We hara 
seen small lota grown from Para seed in the Malay 
States of nice quality and mnch liked. Import's should 
be encouraged. It sells very readily on the basis 
of Ceylon prices. Ceylon sent much more ; very nice 
thin sheet fcom Para seed sold well, also scrap negro- 
head sold readily, and clean soft Ceara strips. Cultiva- 
tion should be encouraged, as we can consume what 
can be proceeded. Java sent little, also Nev? Guinea ; 
both sell readily. 
PAIA. 
At the beginning of the year the price of hard fine 
was 3s, 9d. and soft 3s. 8d., scrappy Ss., Caiaeta 2s. 
e^d., ball 3s. Id , slab 23. 7d. Prices advanced until the 
middle of January, hard fine to Sa. lid., soft 33. 
9Jd., and other descriptions also higher. We iheu 
had a downward movement, anJ in February hurd fine 
sold at Ss. 6|d. and soft Ss. 5}d. In March prices were 
again higher, hard fine up to 3s. lOd and soft 3-) 9id., 
Borappy Ss. l-^d., Cametas 23. 6d., ball 23. ll^d. slab 
23, 4d. During April, May and June the tendency was 
upwards, and in July hard fine was sold at Is. 6Jd. and 
soft 33. lid., scrappy 3? Ijjd., Cameta 23. 6d., ball ?>s. 
0|d., slab 2b. Gd. lu August a large business was dona 
at advancing prices, and with September market was 
active, and advanced rapidly, hard tine to 43. 8d., soft 
49. SJd., scrappy Ss. S^d., (jametas 2s. lOJd., ball 33. 
7id., slab 2j. IM. During October there was a sharp 
reaction, and in the middle of November hard fine was 
Bold at 33. 10^1 , soft Bs. 9d., scrappy 3s SJd., Cameta 
28. 3JA., ball 3s. 2d. Prices then advanced, and in the 
beginning of December 4s. Id, was paid for hard fine. 
This advance, however, hag since been lo»t, and we 
close with hard flue at Ss. lid., soft 3s lOJd., scrappy 
3s. 8Jd., Cameta 23. •lAd., ball 33. SJd., slab 23. 7id. 
BALITA. 
We have had a fair supply of block this year, and for 
the first eight months prices were firm and sales up to 
2b. IJd. Daring the last few months stocks have 
accumulated, and prices now are much lower, with a 
very slow market. Nominal value of fair block to-day 
about la. S^d. Sht-et— Supply has agr!,in increased, 
and Bold well throughout the year ; but prices are now 
lower and demand slow ; spot value of pile 23. 4d. 
GUTTAPEHCHA. 
Theie has been very little doing during the year- 
Stocks have beta firmly held, but demand ia very slowi 
and prices all round are lowtr. — Home and Colonial 
Mail. 
♦ 
IXTLI5 FIBRE. 
From 1897 to 1902, the annual exportation of ixtle 
from Mexico increased from 5,920,125 to 12,475,361 
kilogrammes. In other words, in five years, the ex- 
portation of this important product has doubled. 
Ixtle is B RtroDg fibre used for the making of ropes, 
coarse fabric, ore sacks and the bailing of goods. 
Also to a certain extent it is used in the place of 
bristles in the manufacture of brooms, brushes, etc. 
It is a product of the smaller variety of the agave 
plant called leclniguilla, and only grows to advantage 
on the driest and most arid plains and low hilla. 
Where water runs or stands, it it be for a few hours 
only, the ixtle plant will not thrive, but where good 
soil is found on rolling hill sides, level plains, or 
even on the sides of mountains where there is not 
too much declivity, it grows in great abundance. Each 
plant has a productive life of from 8 to 12 years when 
properly handled. Formerly it was the practice of 
the Indians to entirely destroy the plant when 
gathering the leaves, but now, among the more in- 
telligent producers, a new system has been adopted, 
which consists in merely cutting out the centre leaves, 
leaving the plaut practically unharmed. When treated 
in this way they have a productive life of at least 
10 years, and by the time that the plant is dead, 
numerous suckers which have been growing from 
the root will have attained a size to be productive. 
AVhen only the ceu're leaves of the plant are cut, it 
takes about sixty plants to produce a pound of mer- 
chantable fibre, and as in many ixtle districts, from 
two to five plants grow on each square metre, or say, 
from 8,000 to 20,000 plants to the acre, some idea can 
be formed of the productiveness of these ixtle lands. 
It is claimed that one acre of the best quality of ixtle 
land, when properly harvested, will give a net profit 
of ^^O ^R62 shout) an sere annually. A3 the plant 
requires no cultivation and reproduces without cost 
to the owner, some idea may be formed of the value 
that this plant gives to large regions in central Mexico, 
which, to the casual observer, appear arid plains and 
hills covered with cactus and thorny bushes. 
It is rather difScult to explain the distribution of 
lechuguilla. In travelling through the country where 
it grows often huudreds of acres of land, seemingly 
well adap'ed to it, will be found without a plant, and 
then other lauds, apparently of the same quality, and 
having the same conditions, will be so thickly covered 
as to make a mat that it is almost impossible to cross 
on foot or horseback. ^ 
For centuries, says Modern 'Mexico, the ixtle has 
been extensively used in this Republic, but it is only 
within a few years that it has become an important 
article of export, so much so that inventors have 
devoted themselves to the production of machinery 
that will extract the fibre more economically and 
thoroughly than by the old hand process. These 
machines are now on the market and appear to be 
successful. They are made in two or three sizes and 
can be taken from place to place, something like a 
threshing machine. As in regions where the leclm- 
quiUa is most abnudaut, water is very scarce they 
j,re moved, as a rule, by horse or mule power. 
Lands th.it ten years ago could jhave been bought 
for from 10 to 15 cents an acre, are now changing 
hands at from ?3 to !<8 an acre. The extensive pro- 
duction of ixtle is working material changes in thg 
semi-arid regions of central MexiOj. 
