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

out all other vegetation. 1 do not know how it
will grow on poor land. as all that have ever
seen in Florida at Miami and on Indian Key,
Knights Key and other islands along the coast,
which are all extremely fertile
AS to cultivation not being needed, this is only
true where the landis very rocky that it is i'm
possible for enough vegetation to grow to interfere
with the plants Ordinarily it is safe to calculate
that it will take just as much cultivation as any
other plant, and that four years will have to be
spent in every instance before each crop can be
harvested. A great deal of interest has been re-
Gently excited in the Bahama Islands. and several
companies formed for the cultivation OF the Sisal
hemp stimulated, believe, by premiums given by
the Colonial government Many small schooners
have landed at the keys near Key West with
plants for which 10 cents dozen is paid, but in
view of my recent experience in cultivating and
observing the Sisal hemp, the experiment will end
in general financial disaster to those who engage
in it.
NY experience in ramie was limited to the DEM
onstration of the fact that the plant would grow
in South Florida under proper cultivation, and
would probably pay if a suitable machine was
furnished to clean the fibre economically.
PINEAPPLE.
send small specimen of the fibre of the pine
apple; it is said that the cloth called pineapple
silk is manufactured from this fibre; it certainly
furnishes O. fibre which for fineness and strength
will rival any in existence.
have been more or less engaged in the culture
of pineapples for twenty years, and have demon
strated the fact that good pineapples can be
grown with success anywhere south of the Caloo-
sahatchee River, down as far as Naples upon or
binary poor pine land without fertilization. The
pineapple, when it reaches maturity and fruits,
has forty leaves, about one and half inches
broad, and about two feet long, and as it takes
from eight to ten thousand plants to cover an
acre, and it is one of the very easiest cultivated
crops we have, the possibilities for this crop with
a machine to clean the fibre from the leaves of
the plants, after the fruit is gathered, are i'm
mense. 1 would estimate that would GER
tainly furnish two tons of cleaned fibre, beside
crop of pineapples 1t takes a crop OF pineapples
one year to fruit, if planted from the suckers and
eighteen months if planted from the slips; but
after the first crop, there is continuous crop
every year until tits deemed advisable to replant.
sANsEvIERA (GUINE-ENsIs).
This plant which is sometimes called Alligator
Lily from it's spotted leaves, also Bowstring
Hemp and New Zealand Flax Lily is in my opin-
ion the coming fibre plant for South Florida. 1t
fourishes well outdoors in almost any situation
south of the Caloosahatchee river; it's leaves are
from three to six feet long and from two to three
inches broad. The plant can be readily cultivated
and calls for no more labor than crop of corn
and reaches maturity the first year; after that it
will readily take care of itself. The growth being
so dense that it is impossible for anyt thing else to
have show it will after the first year root out
Bermuda grass.
The plants are easily and rapidly propagated
from cuttings both of the leaves and roots. I'm
der ordinary circumstances one full cutting may
be had each year, and with irrigation and good
management probably two three; but even
putting the crop at one cutting the yield would be
almost beyond conception, as the crop grows al
most as thick as itcan stand-the leaves standing
straight up and not liable to be blown down as
many other crops The persons experimenting in
the Bahamas with Sisal hemp at 10 cents a dozen
readily pay much as II cents apiece for these
plants.