The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-08-24
THE SISAL HEMP PLANT
CAN BE CULTIVATED HERE
PROFITABLY.
The Bureau of Agriculture Will Try to
Introduce This Valuable and
Useful Plant.


hemp plant into these Islands has beer
received from Commissioner Marsdet
of the Bureau Of Agriculture, anC
should be read with interest by ali who
are interested in the future develop
ment of Hawaii
EDITOR starr would respectfully
call the attention of the public to the
possibilities of future wealth for thest
Islands that may be brought about by
the cultivation of sisal hemp Ten!
of thousands of acres of land that are
utterly useless for any other purpose
are available for the culture of this
valuable plant, which will grow anc
flourish on any part OF these islands W
to 1000 feet elevation, and even higher
if there is any soil at all. The land
may be covered with rock, but if there
is any room to stick in sIsal plant II
will grow and yield fiber. The CHIEF
obstacle in the way of starting this in
dustry is the great difficulty in pro.
curing the plants. Both the Mexican
and the Bohemian Governments have
very stringent prohlbltory laws against
the expectation of these fiber plants.
The sIsal hemp plant was introduced
into Florida between fifty and sixty
years ago, and if no prohlbitory law
has been passed by that State 1t may
be possible to procure sup
ply from there, and | would
urge upon any of your readers
who may have friends as correspond
ents in Florida or any of the adjacent
States to make an effort to procure as
many of these valuable plants as pos
sible.
AS it takes about three years after
planting before the plants begin to give
firth suckers or young plants it is ad-
vsable that as many of the young
plants as possible should be imported
into this country The Bureau of
Agriculture is endeavoring to procure a
large number of these plants, but is
likely to be disappointed in getting any
considerable quantity. The small
suckers take up but little space, $50 or
more will 60 into an ordinary cigar
box, 500 or more can be sent by
parcels post, and l would urge upon
the residents of these Islands the I'M
portance of making an effort to import
a large quantity of these valuable
plants.
In order to give your readers an in
telligent idea Of the culture, prepara-
ton and value of the sisal hemp,
would ask you to print in your valuable
paper the following interesting article
from the Field Of July IS, 1898:
, awe occasionally hear of individuals
becoming suddenly wealthy by some
judicious speculation; but it sounds
somewhat like fairy tale when we
learn that the inhabitants of whole
group of islands, through the medium
of plant hitherto regarded as a nox-
ious weed, have sprung from actual
poverty, and the ragged end of despair,
into commercial opulenCe. Such, how.
ever, is the case, and has been proved
without doubt regarding that portion of
the British Empire known as the Ba-
hama Islands This happy turn of the
tide has been caused through the won
derful foresight of Sir Ambrose Shea,
the present interchangeable governor Of
the colony, who about seven years ago
conceived the idea that an immense
revenue might be realized from the
culture of slsal hemp, which could be
obtained from the pita plant, which not
only grows wild in the islands, but
which, previous to 1887, was considered
decided detriment to agricultural pur
suits. Under the term ssal hemp are
included hbers from more than one
species of agave; and, according to the
locality where the industry is carried
on, the raw material produced is
known under different appellations. In
Yucatan (Mexico) it is called sisal
hemp, the name recognized in the
English market, while IN the United
States it is known as 'henequen hemp
There are many species of the agave,
but we confne ourselves to the pita
plant of the Bahamas, simply noting
its difference to the sacqui or henequen
of Yucatan for the sake OF comparison.
The latter is hardy plant, and has,
when cultivated, an average life of six
teen years, and propagates itself by
sending forth suckers from its roots.
1t requires from five to six years to
grow in order to produce the marketa-
Bile length of three feet of fiber. The
leaf, from which the fiber is extracted,
has thorn at the point and spines on
its edges, and averages three and a
quarter feet in length. The fiber is
white, but is rated inferior, with a mar.
ketablc value of about 20 per ton less
than that of Bahama hemp. The
latter differs from the henequen mas
much as the leaves are without spines
on its edges, and natures from Two to
thee years earlier.
Like the henequen, the pita plant
propagates from suckers, but is also
capable of producing over 1000 plants
from each pole that grows in the center
of the old plants. 1t is also the hardl,
est of all the agaves. Its power ia
withstand drought is incredible, Plants
lying on the ground, and exposed for
months to the rays OF the burning sun,
when set in the earth grow with vigor
No fungi or insects seem to damage