44 
(excepting a few variegated ornamental varieties) and so are easily 
distinguished from the blue green foliage of the agaves. Upwards of 
twenty kinds have been described, but of these only comparatively a 
few have been utilized as fibre plants, One species Fourcrova for 
Furcroea ) gigantea produces a strong thick trunk 4 to 6 feet tall. 
The others, if they produce a stem of any size at all, only develop 
a short one 6 to 12 inches long. As these plants die after flowering, 
the development of the trunk really depends on the length of time 
the plant takes to flower, in other words the length of the life of the 
plant. 
The plants are propagated by bulbils produced in enormous 
abundance in the axils of the flower spikes after the fall of the 
flower, but in F. gigantea and occasionally in other species of slow 
growth a few shoots are also produced in the stem below the leaves. 
The bulbils are planted in nurseries till they are about one foot or 
a foot and a half across the leaves and then can be planted out. They 
should be planted not less than six feet apart, in fairly good soil, 
though some of the species grow well in very poor clayey soil. They 
prefer full sun if planted in heavy shade, or very damp spots, they 
make but slow growth, the leaves are small and flaccid. In a good 
sunny spot the leaves are broad stiff and thick, and attain in some 
species a length of 8 to 10 feet. When the plant is about a year 
old, its leaves are ready to cut, only the lowest leaves are taken, 
three or* more at the top must be left or the plant will die When full 
grown the plant produces flowers (called “poling”). It throws up 
a stem several inches through to a height of r2 or more fee t above 
the plant, ending in a spreading loose panicle of numerous white and 
green flowers. The leaves now droop and wither. The bulbils are pro- 
duced in the axils of the flower and fall soon in piles on the ground, and 
then the whole plant, unless by chance it has thrown up suckers, dies 
completely. The pole or flower stalk, when dry is pithy and pieces of 
it can be used as razor strops. It is stated that income places cut 
ting the leaves for fibre making causes the plant to pole very soon. 
I have no direct evidence of this and it certainly does not occur in 
most places where it is cultivated. Possibly this only occurs in 
certain species. 
The fruit which is an oblong cay -ule with thin flat seeds never 
seems to be produced in this country. 
The plant is sometimes grown round estates and railways to pre- 
vent cattle trespass and the invasion of wild pigs, deer, etc. Its 
sharp pointed leaves radiating in all directions effectually prevent 
animals from crossing it. 
The two species most commonly grown for fibre are F. gigantea 
and F. cube nsis. 
F. gigantea is distinguished by its usually producing a trunk 
four to six feet tall and 6 to 8 inches through and having the leaves 
thornless along the edge or nearly so. 
F. cubensis produces no trunk and the leaves are armed with 
strong thorns; 
