THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
457 
suits it. :; But perhaps the most interesting of all 
for the Maltese prospector are the remarks made 
by Mr. John I. Northrup, in his article on the 
cultivation of the sisal in the Bahamas, in the 
course of which he said: — “It was at first a source 
of wonder to the writer that anything at all could 
grow there, for the surface is very largely the bare 
coral rock. However it is rarely smooth, but is 
rough and jagged with innumerable points and 
crevices it is when growing on the bare rocky 
ground described above that the sisal is said to 
produce fibre of the best quality;” and Mr. James 
R. Rae in his report to Sir Ambrose Shea, the 
Governor of the Bahamas, says that “On broken 
rocky surfaces containing innumerable potholes 
and crevices in which is deposited the ordinary 
earth, the plant luxuriates Nowhere have I seen 
it appear more flourishing than on such lands.” 
Here, then, is I think a complete answer to the 
question put. Salt, lime, phosphates and arid 
conditions are all favourable to the propagation of 
the plant: and of each and all of these we have an 
abundance. Besides which “Broken rocky surfaces 
containing innumerable potholes and crevices and 
filled, or partially filled with soil, are the main 
characteristics of 80 per cent of Malta’s waste 
lands; and I am therefore justified in asserting 
that these lands are in everyway admirably adap- 
ted for the industry. This being so, the area that 
would have to be “wholly prepared” would be 
relatively a small one: most of it would, however, 
require a partial preparation. 
With reference to the expense of working the 
rock, it is not possible to do more than give a 
rough estimate of the approximate cost. 
Before entering into this part of the question, I 
w ish it, however, to be distinctly understood that 
I do not consider it possible to turn the waste 
grounds into “orchards and gardens” as was hinted 
by the editor of the “Standard.” They are not 
suited for such a purpose, besides which it would 
be a truly herculean, not to say impossible, task to 
provide soil sufficient to spread promiscuously 
over such a vast area, even to a depth of but from 
1 to 2 feet, and afterwards to properly irrigate it. 
My proposition briefly put, resolves itself into 
this. When the absence of potholes renders it ne- 
cessary, pits should be cut in the rock measuring 
say 1| feet by li feet by 2 feet in depth. The cost 
of doing this would, I am assured by those who 
have engaged labourers in trenching for agricul- 
tural purposes in Malta, be from 8d. to lOcl. per 
palmo. I will allow a wide margin and say 6d. per 
square foot. Each pit would therefore cost about 
Is. ll>d. Where it is necessary to prepare the whole 
district these pits should be dug in parallel lines 
with spacings of 7| feet in the one direction and of 
7^ feet in the direction, at a light angles to it. One 
tummolo of ground would therefore have about 
170 of these pits; and the cost at Is. l-|d. each 
would be just £ 9. 11. 3 per tummolo. (Mr. G. 
Hodge U. S. Agent states that 600 to 650 to the 
acre is sufficiently close, equal to about 170 to 180 
to the turn.) The collection of the soil, and, where 
it is not procurable, the crushing of the rock for 
the purposes of making it, is an item on which I 
can pronounce no definite opinion, but it would 
not be a very great expense fur in no part of Malta 
is the rock absolutely bare, and the debris obtained 
from the cutting of the trenches would, when 
crushed and mixed with the loams found in neigh 
bouring fissures make a suitable and fertile soil. 
These pits would require an equal number of 
young sisal plants; and these (Mr. Bier in his re- 
port to the United States Commission states) cost 
a half-penny a piece. The Bahamians (Vide report 
of Mr. C. Dodge the agent for the U. S. Commis- 
sion) buy their plants at 7 cents, a dozen: but at 
the present time these prices have been somewhat 
increased owing to the stringent regulations en- 
force 1 with reference to the export of young plants 
to other countries. 
Both in Florida and Spain the young suckers are, 
however, to be obtained at nominal prices. 
Here then we have the principal items of ex- 
pense, which would have to be incurred in the 
initiation of this very lucrative industry. 
Compared with what it has cost the promoters 
in other countries, this is a very moderate expen- 
diture. 
This would be the approximate cost supposing 
that it were necessary to trench the whole of the 
j area; but this, as I have shown, would be unne- 
! cessary. And there can be no doubt that this 
estimate would be considerably reduced ’if, where 
i large areas had to be cleared, the work was 
! systematized and performed under contract. 
