[Sir,— On account of the diversity of opinion regarding the fibre plant we have growing here, and by many believed to be the Agave rigida, from which the sisal fibre of commerce is produced, I some ten days since wrote and forwarded flowers, pole plants and portions of a leaf of the above plant to Baron Von Mueller, the eminent botanist, asking him to kindly place the plant for me. I received an answer from him yesterday, and he states that the plant is a fourcroya, all kinds of which produce fibre from their leaves, but not to be compared in value to that of Agave rigida, I would like to have published the Baron's letter, but it would be a breach of faith on my part to do so. However, as he has generously made me a present of his work on "Select Extra-Tropical Plants." I cull the following, trusting you will publish same for the benefit of any of your readers who take an interest in this subject:1
…2
The Baron says that the best plan for those wishing to obtain young sisal plants would be to write to some reliable London firm dealing in plants to send some out, and that they would travel in a close box on one of the mail boats quite safely and without affecting their vitality.]
Agave rigida
Fourcroya
Jones then quotes, with some omissions, the text of M's entries in B91.09.01 for Agave rigida, Fourcroya gigantea and Agave Americana, before commenting that the latter 'is clearly the plant some of your first correspondents took to be the Agave rigida, var sisalana'.
Jones adds some comments on potential value and requirements for cultivation and processing the crop.
Letter not found. The text given here is from a letter to the Editor dated by Jones 'Nerada, March 4th, 1892', published under 'Agave and Fourcroya fibre culture', Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett advertiser, 7 March 1892, p. 2, col. c.
Please cite as “FVM-92-03-00g,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on