1 Nov., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 489 
I take for planting five rows in 36 feet—that is to say, four at 6 feet 
distance and the fifth at 12. I put the plants 6 feet apart in the rows. This 
gives me more than 1,000 plants to an acre. Each plant at four years gives 
forty leaves a year of a weight of 50 lb., of which 4 per cent. turns into fibre, 
dried and white, or 2 Ib. of fibre to a plant, or 2,000 lb an acre. £14 a ton is 
more than 8 cents a lb. JI allow only 2% cents a lb. to make 50 dollars an acre. 
Thus an acre producing net 50 dollars yields double the results of 200 cacao trees 
on an acre, at 10 bags per 1,000 trees at 12 dollars net (when 65s. the London 
market quotation) or 2 bags, 12 dollars = 24 dollars. It isa great deal more 
than 20 tons of sugar-canes to an acre at 9s. a ton, leaving probably not more 
than 1s. a ton to the cane farmer, or £1 an acre. 
Tf the acre gives 2,000 Ib. a year, and a raspador prepares some 330 Ib. 
a day—100,000 lb. a year of 300 days—it will require 50 acres to produce 
sufficient fibre for one raspador’s work in one year; 5 raspadores tor 250 
acres ; 20 for 1,000 acres. 
But what strikes me more is that I noticed that on all the sugar planta- 
tions, all the cacao estates, everywhere on Crown lands, there is a large extent 
of useless land, when not first-class. Well, the fibre plants grow nearly every- 
‘where except on absolutely barren lands; and immediately everyone can 
foresee what is the future of Trinidad when all lands, unless barren, will be 
cultivated with plants yielding double what cacao gives. One thousand acres of 
land for sugar-canes, giving 1,500 tons of sugar, will require (Gif I do not make 
a mistake) £37,000 worth of machinery, at least; and 1,000 acres of land for 
fibre plants will require only twenty raspadores costing £600, and will give 
yearly at 50 dollars, or £10 per acre, £10,000 sterling to repay cost of land 
and of contracts. 
But no industry can be established with safety if it is not started with 
economy and perseverance, or if anyone is discouraged because purchasers do 
not come jfrom abroad to buy the first lb. before it is ready. I believe that 
this, and five or six years’ gambling in the London Exchange, have stopped the 
first attempt made in Tobago and in Bahamas some ten years ago. But the 
machines have been greatly improved during the last four years; the prices, 
after fluctuating during the time of speculation between £13 and £75, have 
become steady at £30, and the plants, ten years old now, are everywhere giving 
sprouts from their roots and seeds from their poles. 
The Agricultural Society is being called upon to decide regarding the 
introduction of hard-working immigrants from Teneriffe. Can we find a better 
basis for settlement by free companies of these free people, in a free country ? 
Profitable contracts could be offered to them on landing at the Quay, at a 
rate of 25 dollars an acre—5 dollars after brushing, 5 dollars after planting, 
and 15 dollars on delivery on fourth year. Each contractor would not receive 
more than 12 acres to be planted in three years—4 acres a year. As there iy 
yery little trouble in cultivating the fibre plant when it is a year and a-half old, 
every year each contractor could receive some 4 acres more. In five years he 
would have planted 20 acres, and from the fourth to the ninth year he would 
receive 5V0 dollars, whereas 12 acres in cacao, or 2,400 trees, would give him 
only 480 dollars in the same time. [1 dollar = 4s. 2d. 2 cents = 1d.] 
USEFUL HINTS. 
Tf a newspaper is soaked in water, and then rolled up into a tight ball and 
put in the centre of a fire, with a little coal on the top, it will be bound to 
keep in for several hours. 
A. certain cure for the most long-standing corn will be found as follows :— 
Mix a small piece of bread with a little vinegar, apply to corn two or three 
nights ; it will then be completely cured. 
