20 BULLETIX l: 
now moving into the towns. Increasing areas are being planted to 
food crops, and the laborers who have an abundant supply of food 
are not disposed to work on the henequen plantations. 
An organized effort is being made to rehabilitate the industry. 
Funds have been loaned to the planters for cleaning and replanting 
their fields, and fairly satisfactory progress has been made in this 
work. 
SUMMARY 
As Yucatan furnishes the greater part of the raw material used 
in the United States for the manufacture of binder twine, the 
condition of its henequen industry is a matter which concerns the 
American farmer. 
The production of henequen is the one important industry of 
Yucatan. Both soil and climate are well adapted to the cultivation 
of this crop and ill adapted to the growing of other tropical staples. 
For several years the henequen situation has been unsettled and 
unsatisfactory, and there has been great fluctuation both in produc- 
tion and in prices. 
"With a decreased production and the rapid consumption of the 
old stocks of henequen, there has existed the possibility of a shortage 
in the available supply of binder-twine fiber. 
With changing economic and industrial conditions in Yucatan, 
corresponding changes in the methods of producing henequen are 
gradually being made. 
The adjustment of the old to the new conditions is difficult, and 
there is need for cooperation on the part of officials, planters, and 
laborers. 
The encouragement of investigational and experimental work with 
henequen would benefit the industry. 
An organized effort is now being made to rehabilitate the henequen 
plantations, and considerable progress in this work has already been 
made. 
During the 18 months preceding this field study, in July, 1923, a 
stable price for henequen fiber had been maintained, there had been 
an improvement in the quality, and a considerable part of the stocks 
of old fiber had been sold. 
Uncertain factors in the henequen industry are the shortage of 
capital, the labor situation, and the possible increased production of 
competing fibers in other countries. 
With stable economic, industrial, and political conditions in Yuca- 
tan and with no material change in the present prices of the fiber, 
the supply of henequen fiber, supplemented by other hard fibers, 
should be adequate during the next few years to meet the world 
demand. 
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