The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1894-05-05
SISAII HEMP IN FLORIDA.
a NEW FIBRE MORE LUSTR0US THAH
SILK
Nm Important fndystry for the South. "A
Syndicate ORGANIZED to Deyetop this
Business.

~" "poTtuHt "oIStI ToF me Soufh. ---d
Syndicate ORGANIZED to Deyeiop this
Business.
FORT PIERCE, FLA-Much has been
said and written during the past two
years concerning the present develop
ment and the great possibilities of the
sisal-hemp industry in Florida, espe-
cially upon the east coast. II is, there
fore, extremely gratifying to know
that practical step toward the estab-
llshment of sisal culture in Florida,
both as permanent and profit-yield-
ing business, is to be undertaken.
With the exception of the plantation
at New River, in tho Bay Biscayne
country, this liz the first step in the
practical development of what bids fair
TO be the greatest industry on the east
coast, it not in all Florida.
q w. Parsons, who has been study
ing the sisal hemp plant in Florida
Tor the past six years, and who has
prosecuted system of thorough in
vestigation into the possibilities of the
1ndusty, has just organized n sydicate
OF capitalists for raising sisal hemp
and marketing it for profit. From
advance reports of the plans of this
vile Citizen the following points are
CLEANED:
SYNDICATE ORGANIZATION.
The organization at present contains
only seven men, most of them residents
OF Chicago, New York aud the East.
ana some OF them are already engaged
IN the manufacture of cordnge, etc.
Ihey have already put up large
amount of money for the preliminary
expenses, and have pledged $500, 900
for the enterprise, ut which figures the
subscribers will capitalize the stock
company to be organized within the
next two or three mouths.
The syndicate has Just purchased n
tract OF about 5000 acres of land lying
little southwest of the St. Lucie river
IN the extreme southwest part OF Bre-
ward county, of which 1000 acres will
he cleared and placed under cultivation
at the earliest possible date, and az
soon as the organization of the compa-
ny IL perfected all the necessary build
ings viii be put up on the property
and first class decorticating plant
will he established. Later on q tram
way Will be constructed either to the
st. Lucie river or to the tracks of the
jacksonville, st. Augustine & Indian
River Railway for the cheap and easy
transportation of the hemp.
The plantations will be set ont with
the sisal plants upon an average Of
about 700 to the acre, in rows about
eight feet apart and with space about
eight feet between the plants in each
row. AT intervals of fifty or sixty feet
wide will cross the plantations for con.
yenience in gathering and hauling the
leaves to the mill.
THE YUCArAN PLANT.
In Yucatan it is not uncommon 20
find sisal plants cultivated as high as
100 or 1900 to the acre, but the plants
attain much larger size on the Flori-
da east coast, and in consequence
greater space has to be allowed for
them to grow in.
There is considerable room for inn
provement in all the fibre machines
now In use. but experimentation has
succeeded in producing two which are
particularly adapted to the leaves ot
the sisal plant, being far superior TO
that employed by Charles Richard,
Dodge, OF the United States Depart
ment OF Agriculture, in his fibre ex-
Periments on the lower east coast of
Florida.
These improved decorticating ma.
chimes are manufactured by j. G. Todd.
OF Paterson, N. j., aud by T. Albee
Smith, OF Baltimore.
THE FLORIDA FIBRE or GOOD QUALITY.
In recent years the price CT Yucatan
s'sal hemp has averaged about sIO0 ner
ton, or i've cents per pound. At pres.
ent' however, the price il somewhat
depressed, the average price being
about four cents per pound.
1t Is everywhere admitted that the
hbre OF the Florida east coast is finer.
stronger, more durable aud better in
every way than the Yucatan product
ana the manufacturers OF hemp pro-
ducts in general agree that in open
market 1t will, undoubtedly, bring at
least two cents more PEI pound than
the fucatan. So Mr.. Parsons sypdi-
cate -Snadently expects fully SIX cents
per pound for it's sisal product when.
three years or 30 from now, ID shall
market it's first crop. The waste. or
short hbre, is also marketable
bringing from two to three cents Der
pound.
OF the success Of the enterprise there
is not the slightest doubt, the promo
ters Of 1t looking with confidence for
profits of at least 800 per acre after
the plants begin to yield, at the age of
three and a-balf or four years OF
this feature of the industry Mr.. Par
sons says: "As is well known, the sisal
plant, when cultivated for market. is
never allowed TO come to maturity. Il
would pole and blossom at the age Of
seven years and then die. Bnt il is
cut down every year. SO that all its
strength goes into it's leaves, and they
may be cut for fibre as soon ma The
plant is in it's fourth year. When the
plantation Is OF that ago the crop is
eoDtinuons, and large quantities OF the
leaves can be ont every day in the
year.
NO INSECT ENEMIES.
"The plant has no enemies There