1 Sepr., 1898. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 227 
the fibre, which he describes as “long, silky, and solid, particularly adapted 
for luxurious hammocks and for cordage.’ A native of Central America, it 
has been introduced into most tropical and semi-tropical countries. It will 
not, however, stand frost. Nicholson spells the name differently to most other 
writers, and tells us that the genus was named after A. I’. Fourcroye, a 
celebrated French chemist, 1755-1809. In the specimens at Kamerunga there 
are some 100 to 120 leaves on a plant, each leaf being from 5 feet 6 inches to 
6 feet long, and fully 6 inches broad. They are shaped like the Sisal, but have 
formidable, curved, upward spines along the edge, and of a somewhat lighter 
colour. The scape grows to some 30 feet, and produces a head of branches 
bearing enormous quantities of bulbils, so that it is very easy of rapid extension, 
as each bulbil will grow. Nothing is easier than to grow Mourcroya in the tropics. 
Tt has been for many years grown at Hambledon, but it does not seem to have 
been utilised there for its fibre. The lack of a fibre-separator in this colony is 
yery lamentable ; £200 would supply one, together with an engine that could be 
used for other purposes. One great feature in the growth of this fibre plant is 
the applicability of white labour and scientific machinery to aid in its development. 
No positive skilled labour would be required, except a man to drive the engine 
and fibre machine. Of course it would be unwise to put all trust in fibre-pro- 
ducing. Of one thing we are certain, it will grow as well in Queensland as in 
any part of the world. Samples have been prepared at Kamerunga, and sent to 
Brisbane and London; but what is really required is a sample of some tons to 
test the market. This, of course, to extract by hand would be very expensive. 
For small planters and agriculturists a machine is constructed to work by hand- 
power. ‘This machine is said to be capable of producing 250 Ib. of clean fibre in 
twenty hours. Its weight is 16 ewt., and the price £32. Fourcroya will grow on 
poor soil, where certainly it would not pay to grow sugar or thelike. It, however, 
like other plants, prefers good soil. here are hundreds of thousands of acres of 
land in Queensland which might be given up to the growth of this plant. If used 
by the Government for this purpose, it would become a valuable asset, and would 
always be a store for labour when the unemployed are in evidence. The harvest 
of Hourcroya and the like is not spoilt by excessive rain or untoward weather. 
If you cannot reap this month, you can the next or next after. Itis taken 
straight from the field into the machine, dried, put into bales, and then sert to 
market. What was said in regard to planting Agave rigida will serve for 
Fourcroya. hey are allied plants. The same distance apart may be given, and 
the same machinery will answer. The fibre markets of Great Britain, Europe, 
and America, like all other markets, are liable to times of depression and 
reduction of prices. But times of very high prices, as the present, occur, and 
fortunate is the man who has a few thousand bales to send to market. Our 
own Australian market is not a mean one, and the local material, if as good 
as the introduced, would doubtless assert itself therein. Fourcroya grows best 
in tropical Queensland, but it may be grown anywhere north of Brisbane. An 
easy access to the plantation from the coast is an advantage where large 
quantities of material have to be handled for shipment. Perhaps no proposed - 
industry offers itself so favourably to groups of farmers, who could have a 
central mill (their own for preference) and grow, say, 5,000 acres of Houreroya 
-and Sisal hemp. So far as it appears, no industry of this kind has been 
undertaken in Queensland. It does not attract itself. No one has ventured 
to make it attractive by trying with favourable circumstances. 
Fibre has been separated by hand of a good marketable quality, both as 
to colour and texture, at Kamerunga. 
It must not be forgotten that these fibres sometimes enter into paper-making 
requirements, and that they are not confined to rope-making and other coarse 
material manufactures. Fibre-extracting machinery is well up ‘to date; and 
there would be no difficulty in obtaining extractors suitable for any kind of 
fibre plant. The beauty of fibre-extracting from Agave rigida, Hourcroya 
gigantea, aud Musa is that they require no rotting. In this they have 
advantage over many other hemps. 
