The herald., 1895-03-08

as it is today, the never failing fountain of
riches. This plant besides being indig-
enous to Yucatan, Sinaloa and Lower Cali
fornia has also been introduced and cult
waited in the Islands of Cuba, Bahamas,
the PHILIPPINES and Florida. Experience
and actual tests have demonstrated that
the Lower California variety is found in
its most luxuriaJt development in the
neighborhood of the port of Santo Do
mingo, in the Central District of the
Peninsula, yields the best fiber and is
commercially the most valuable of all the
varieties known.
The Fiber: Its characteristics and Uses
The plant attains the age of about
thirty years, blooming but once toward
the end of that period and then dying. 1t
is reproj III I'd by shoots which are thrown
out BIZ 1t ,ots all around the moth er
plant an lch can he readily trans
planted, ". - each will again form the
nucleus OF /. uew family. They grow with
out irrigation, OF cultivation OF any kind.
Of those transplanted IN Iucatan and
Sinaloa only about ten out of a Thousand
have died, and that was owing to careless
ness in handling and the tearing of the
roots. When the leaves attain the length
of two to four feet they are generally
cut from the bottom up and the fiber
is extracted from them by suit
able machinery. Leaves of five to seven
feet in length, however, are by no means
uncommon, although for manufacturing
purposes it is not necessary that the
fiber should attain that length. After
the first cutting the plant is left alone for
about three years, when sufficient num-
Der of grown leaves will be found ready
for another cutting, and 50 on, until the
plant begins to show signs that it is going
to throw out the heart shoot, or center
stalk, with its blossoms. By this time the
plant is nearly denuded of its leaves and
becomes now exceedingly valuable for the
manufacture of the famous No clan
liquor called "mescal " to obtain watch
the plant is rooted up, chopped up into
small chunks, and thrown into the dis
tillery vat and then subjected to the or
binary process of distillation. Cattle
grow very fat feeding upon all the green
waste and oaal OF that plant, and any
plant that for some cause dies and dries
up becomes again OF value as excellent
fuel.
This fiber easily takes on and perma-
nently holds any kind of dye; it is not
affected by sat water and is absolutely in
sect proof, as no insect will go anywhere
near it. It is superior to the Manila
hemp, being less brittle and needing no
varnish Gu tar to protect it from the cor
rosive ACTION of salt water. All manner
Of cordage and Irvine manufactured from
il is OF superior excellence and commands
the highest prices i'll the markets of the
world. 1t is also used for the manufacture
of hammo cks all kinds of mating.
brushes, bag 'glng, carpets, mattresses, up
holstery, hat IS, a great variety of fancy
goods and the short fiber for paper stock,
the latter yielding an article equal to linen
paper. Tie recent Improvements made
i'll the extracting machinery have
yielded fiber of exquisite beauty,
silkeu finish, and great tenacity, from
W biplF hpn1rtIflIl plOtbinu him,
can be reaGlly manufactured. The Juice
of the body of the plant when boiled down
makes an excellent and deliciously favored
syrup, largely used for sweetening pur-
poses and as a gentle laxative.
The following figures are taken from the
Government consular reports at Washing
ton and axe official:
In 1889, 4ucatan exported henequen to
the value eli IS, 430, 306 against ~, 352, 600
i'll 1898.
During the half year ending December
81 1891 the value OF the henequen exports
was IS, go 80 which rose during the
corresponding period OF the following
year, 1892, 10 81, 23l, 1853.
Last years exports have probably
reached S12, 900 600, ii not over, but the
official figures are not yet obtainable.
The value of mescal produced in 1889
was ~, Oh, 800 and is at the present time
in the nelghborhood OF $40, 600 600 per an
num-
The reason OF this enormous increase is
the steadily growing demand for the raw
fiber owing to its well established merit
and great variety OF uses. AS to the mes
cal, the bulk OF it is consumed in Mexico
but there is great market awaiting it in
this country. Its medicinal virtues are
fully recognized by the Mexicans.
Since the perfecting of the extracting
machinery the only drawback and ele-
ment of doubt affecting this industry
has disappeared. In this connection /
briefly quote from an official report of the
Governor of the Bahamas, Sir Ambrose
Shea, of June IL, 1894.
He says ''After my very careful exam
nation of the machine of Todd q Com
pany, which is now in successful opera
ton ON the plantation of Mr.. Mendez, |
am satisfied that it efficiently meets all
the requirements of our fiber industry.
It's movements are easy and very effective
and it turns out the fiber in fine condi-
ton with minimum amount of waste.
After our repeated failure to obtain the
machinery required, it is most satisfactory
to me to know that we now have one that
from its undoubted excellence must come
into universal use in this colony"
What Can Be Done Here
With our steadily growing oil produc-
ton the vital question of cheap fuel for
manufacturing purposes has been happily
solved, and our city is in pisition to de-