The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-06-18
DeLand, Fla, Wednesday. June IS, 1890.

1 send q small specimen of the fibre, which,
you see is much finer and stronger than the
Sisal hemp. This fibre has been manufactured in
England, eXperimentally, and is said to produce
a cloth as beautiful and more valuable than silk.
I am now engaged in propagating plants for my
own planting, as intend to plant all that can
get; have about one-quarter of an acre which
will enable me next year to plant out several
acres. 1t is claimed in the Bahamas that the
Death Ewood" machine will clean out four hun
dred pounds of the fibre per day of ten hours.
This crop when grown can be leftupon the ground
until ready to cut without iniuring it. the only
objection to letting it stand over being that it
intereres with the growth of the next crop. The
fibre, when subjected to the carding process, is
said to sub-divide it's filiaments into threads
fine as silk
Any machine that will clean the Sisal hemp will
much more easily clean the Sanseviera, as it has
none of that gummy matter in the pulp. The
whole leaf contains simply fibre, water and lit
tie woody pulp.
MANILA HEMP (NiUsA TEXILIs).
1t is not generally known that the Manila
hemp belongs to the banana family, which flour
ishes SO luxurantly in all parts of Florida south
of the Caloosahatchee river. Nevertheless such
case,
easily grown and all afford good fibres 1 have no
doubt but the Manila would do just as well as
in it's native home. [ have vainly endeavored for
years to procure roots of this valuable plant
sincerely hope that the Department of Agriculture
will see the Importance of introducing this valu-
able fibre plant into cultivation in the United
States. would cheerfully take charge of the
pertinent if furnished with the plants.
"sPARMANNIA." (AFRICANA,)
Although I have as yet, no personal experience
in the cultivation OF Sparmannia, would deem
myself remiss in my duty as an American Agri-
cuturst if failed to call your attention to.ths
plant which 1 am convinced is destined to play
such an important part in the agriculture OF the
South in the near future.
enclose the following description of the plant.
from Mr.. Jean Roth, the manager OF the Storms
River Fibre Works, South Africa, for which 1 am
indebted to my old friend, Maj. E. C. Evans, of
Arcadia, Fla
"The advantages which Sparmannia has over
all other fibre plants, and which elevates it to
the highest rank OF agricultural products, are
that it is perennial. 1t is one of the very best
forage plants in existence. it's enormous yield,
both of fodder and fibre, the great strength, and
dazzling whteness OF the fibre, the facility with
which it takes dyes, and the extremely low price
at which it can be produced, making it accessible
even to the paper manufacturer.
1.-The introduction, and general distribution of
this plant, is of the highest Importance, and will
enable the United States, (more than any other
country. to compete successfully in the prOduc-
tiOn of corn, wheat, meat, butter and cheese; in
short, it is capable of giving such advantages to
the United States all other nations, as to
become by this means, not only great CONNER
cia but also great political success.
''Ths may be considered, highly colOred en-
dorsement of an enthusiast but l must Judge
American enterprise and intelligence very wrong
ly if every word does not become truth, as rapid
ly as the plant spreads it's roots in American
soil
''Sparmannia grows in almost any, except
brackish soil; it requires Edeep plowing and is
much benefited by manures although it grows
here luxuriantly in soils where other crop will
grow without fertilization
''The seeds should be sown in drills twenty
eight inches apart and the plants thnned out to