. 
is stated that the Weicher machine *requlres 12 horse-power 
•engine and the services of three men. Capacity, 2,500 lbs. 
•dry fibre per day of 10 hours? Mr.Weicher judiciously 
disclaims all responsibility for the capacity here given. 
He prefers to indicate it by saying that the machine will 
treat at the rate of 10 to 12 tons of green leaves per day. 
The actual yield in dry fibre will therefore depend upon 
the quality of the leaves. Mr.Weicher hopes to obtain as 
high as 5 per cent of dry fibre from good leaves, and he 
thus estimates the out-turn per day of 10 hours at 1,120 
to 1,340 lbs. These figures, it is needless to add, are 
• *» 
given entirely on his authority. Tbr comparison from actual 
working it may be mentioned that the Yucatan Raspador 
•i’S _ 
. 
(with two men) acting on leaves of Sisal hemp will clean 
about 400 pounds of dry fibre per day. On the other hand, 
the Mauritius machine (also with two men) acting on leaves 
* 
of the Green Aloe (Furcroea -gigantea) will turn out only 
about 214 pounds of dry fibre per day. The difference in 
*■ * 
'■ • - * - , 
these returns may be due to the different qualities of the 
.. 
leaves, but it is evident that, so far, neither of these 
- .v 
»i i - r *•*» " * 
machines working on a commercial scale is able to turn out 
more than 400 pounds of dry fibre per day. 
'* • 
The conjectural figures given by Mr.Weicher require 
T 
„ . * 
therefore 
