The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1883-05-19
Fibre Products.

The time is not far distant. we trust,
when the growth OF ibre-making material
on these Islands will become an important
industry. Experience elsewhere has shown
that to do so prOfitably cheap labor must be
employed, which, in our case means that
we must wait awhile until existing con-
tracts with immigrants now working on
plantations shall have been worked out by
the laborers, when they inevitably will, in
the majority of cases, be looking about for
some means Of obtaining u living without
shipping" again.
The probabilities are that for some time
to come there will be a demand for more
labor on plantations to tax the place of
those whose contracts expire, and that as a
-nsequence plantation labor will not be
obtained at much cheaper rates than are
now being paid, but there will be greater
attention paid to other industries by those
who prefer to earn an humble living indie
pendentIy than to be working forsome one
else at higher wages. Chief amongst the
industries which will attract the attention
of many will be the growth of fibre mate
rial. Not to supply any great local de-
mand, but for expectation to the United
States and Europe. We have already
called attention to the value of our indigo
nous fibre bearing plants, and we know
that our soil and climate is capable OF pro-
ducing immense quantities of others that
may be introduced.
From Mexico can be obtained the seeds,
roots or cuttings Of the "~Iechugilla,r the
"maguey" and the palma criOIIs, >" three
plaD.s which are attracting much atten-
ton in Europe and the United States.
They grow throughout Mexico at an eleva-
ton Of not less than n thousand feet above
the sea, and as hat implies n habitat here
Of about the same elevation, it will be seen
that they would occupy grounds not availa-
bic for any other sub-tropic. staple. From
the British Trade Journal, Qrom which we
quote largely we gather the following de-
tails as to the character of these plants.
The Ieehugilla, or small lettuce, affords q fibre
like the Manila sea-grass. The fibre is coarse and
strong, from IS inches to "a inches in length, and
Is used in making sacks, mats, ropes and brushes.
The infused root has strong detergent properties,
and cannot be excelled for cleansing wOoilen cloth
ing It tends, also, rather to set than displace
colors, and articles likely to fade may with safety
be washed with an infusion Of this root. This fibre
Is the ixtle Of commeTce and l. already exported
in some quantity from Mexico to the United States
and elsewhere. The maguey, or the agave, or the
century plant, As 1t Is variOusly called, Is a.
abundant as the lechugilla- The cajeta, or heart,
yields aqua miel, or wort, which, when fermented,
becomes what Is known a. - %pulque." This mild
IntoXicant II, a5 everybody knows, the national
drink Of Mexico Pulque trains run daily to the
large cities, and the Mexican could no more think
Of dispensing with his pOtstiOn Of pulque than the
English laborer Of going without mis- Bssr--T The
rcStSd cajeta, or hesft Of the plant, is called
mescal," and this when pressed in a mill, yields
n liquid which NSnen distilled, is known as - vino
de strong, spirituous liquor, as clear
aDI~ectoriess as pure water. The leaves Of the
, maguey serve another purpose When wruhg they
give n juice which is g sovereign antiscOrbutic, and
Is used with excellent effect for scrofuIous diseases.
The fibre of the maguey Is much finer and a great
deal longer than the fibre OF the lechugilla, and it
is not uncommon to find il from five to six feet in
length. The Mexicans weave it into fine textures,
and shOemakers use il to manufacture their best
thread 1t is also sometimes wrought into orna-
mental bags and baskets, and then tinted with
various colors. So far, it seems, no machinery has
been invented-or, at any rate, the Mexican people
know Of none-suited to break, hackle and prepare
this product 1t Is now prepared in a cumbrous
way by hand The maguey, it should be noted,
grows at present without anything in the shape Of
cultivation being required. When the hearts are
cut for the purposes Of distillatiOn the leaves are
generally left strewn upon the ground, and fibre
that might be advantageously used is left to rot.
OF the third plant mentiOned-the palma criolla
lit may be said that it grows quite as abundantly
as the maguey. The. fbrous leaves are used to
thatch the ordinary Mexican jacaI or hut, or, if
straw be employed, then the leaves of the palma,
after being heated, are torn into strings and used
to fasten the thatch- Such strings, indeed, con-
stitute the common Irvine in country places, and
are generally used for tying purposes. The fruit
Of the palma is n kind Of date. not greatly
reIished. but occasionally eaten. When distilled
a ~ VI @'1f - S@1<- -@1
is, indeed, quite a large ~distillery near Salinas.
This plant or tree, has excited much interest Of
late, es il is Of afbrous nature thrOughOut-trunk
leaves aud all-and experiments are being made
with \ view Of manufacturing paper therefEOm.
There is no question but that the cultivation of
these fbTes on a large scale wCald open up 4
source Of wealth which, in arcountry less favored
with mineral resources than Mexico, would be
eagerly seized Rpon and rapidly developed.
1t will beSeen from What we have quoted
that these plants subserve other useful
purposes besides yielding valuable fibre,
but considered in relation to that product
alone we think we are justified in saying
that their introduction here would prove n
success not only in the sense that they
would grow well, but that their valuable
properties will afford an opportunity for
Industrious men to. make a comfortable
living for themselves and those depending
upon them.