4 BULLETIN 1278, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
peche than any other agency, estimates the total area planted to hene- 
quen in these States as 5,400,000 mecates, 3 which is equivalent to 
216,000 hectares or approximately 540,000 acres, of which 40 per 
cent is in large, 30 per cent in medium, and 30 per cent in small 
plantations. The large plantations range in size from 3,000 to 6,000 
acres. The " San Francisco," in the Motul district, said to be the 
largest plantation in Yucatan, has approximately 6,500 acres planted 
to henequen. 
Only an approximate estimate can be made of the relative areas in 
young, medium, or producing, and old plantings. Such an estimate 
in July, 1923, indicated that about 50 per cent of the total area, or 
270,000 acres, was in the producing state ; about 40 per cent, or 
216,000 acres, in plantings 2 to 6 years old ; about 8 per cent in plant- 
ings less than 2 years old ; and about 2 per cent in old fields that had 
ceased to be profitable. 
The total number of henequen plantations in Yucatan is variously 
reported to be anywhere from 200 to 850, according to what is 
considered a " plantation.*' There are probably between 500 and 
800 properties which may properly be so regarded. One report 
shows a total of 550 plantations, of which 19 have an annual pro- 
duction in excess of 500,000 kilos (over 1,000,000 pounds) of fiber, 
75 an annual production in excess of 100,000 kilos of fiber (more 
than 200,000 pounds), and the remaining 456 a smaller production. 
The total exportation of henequen fiber from Yucatan during 1923 
was 612,745 bales, or approximately 248,000,000 pounds, of fiber. 
More accurate statistics of acreage with respect to the age of the 
plants would be desirable as a basis for estimating the production 
during the next six years. The young plants do not yield fiber 
until six or seven years after they are set in the field, and the old 
plants yield reduced quantities, so that under normal conditions 
it is not profitable to harvest leaves from them. 
VARIETIES 
Eight different varieties of henequen are recognized, the local 
names of which are as follows : " Quintan-ci,' , " bab-ci," " cahiin- 
ci," 4 " chelen-ci," " yax-ci," 4 " sac-ci," " chucun-ci," and " xix-ci." 
Comparatively little investigation of the different varieties of hene- 
quen has been made, and there is confusion and misunderstanding 
concerning them. The same variety may therefore be given various 
local names, or dissimilar varieties may bear the same name in dif- 
ferent localities. 
The three varieties most extensively cultivated are the sac-ci, the 
chucun-ci, and the quintan-ci. Many of the large plantations have 
plants of all these varieties. 
The sac-ci variety is planted more extensively than all others 
combined. It is of medium size, the trunk when fully developed 
being from 4 to 5 feet in height. The leaves are bluish gray in 
color, from 44 to 5 feet in length and from 34 to 4 inches in width. 
Under favorable conditions this plant lives from 25 to 30 years 
3 The mecate, which is approximately one-tenth of an aero, is the unit of surface meas- 
urement used in Yucatan. 
•The name cahfin-cl is also used in Yucatan to designate Furoraea oahwn and yax-ci to 
designate Bisal, Agave sisakma, which are distinct from the trim henequen, 
