(c) The old atochae are fired after the esparto has been gathered ; they will then send out new shoots, which will have all the vitality and fruitfulness of the old ones. After the first 2-3 years, the leaves are collected annually, to prevent the decay of the calices ; and, after the 5th-6th year, aro economically valuable. By this method, the growth of the plant is stimulated, and the ground is cleaned and benefited. Such plants are quite equal to those raised from seed.
Each of these methods is advantageous under certain circumstances. Sowing is attended by the drawback that, on the average, 12 years are required before the plant affords any return, and there is great danger from frost during the early years of growth. Transplanted plants are productive in 6-8 years, and are more proof against cold ; but the process is very costly, and often impossible from lack of labour. On the whole, sowing is preferable to transplanting, except in exposed situations. On new lands, choice lies between these two plans ; but on old lands, burning is superior to either, affording a full crop of good quality in the 5th-6th year. All that is necessary is to confine the burning within the prescribed limits, which is easily effected, as it proceeds very slowly. The land should be divided into as many proportions as there are years in the life of an atocha, say 50-60. Commencing with the worst, one such portion should be burned each year, thus leaving always about of the land unproductive, and undergoing renewal. Quad rangular plots, 3 times as long as wide, and 10-100 acres in area, with lanes between, would be most convenient for arranging the rotation. The advantages of properly conducted burning are so great as to place that method unquestionably foremost in all cases where it is possible, at the same time, sowing and transplanting may be resorted to for the purpose of filling up the vacancies so common and numerous between the clumps.
Harvesting.—The gathering of the crop should never commence earlier than July ; the general harvest is not organized till August, from which date it may proceed safely till the end of October, according to the amount of labour available. The harvest period is determined by the maturity of the leaves, which, in that state, are removed by a steady pull, from the atocha, which is left uninjured in the ground, ready to send up new shoots in the following November-December. The dislodgment of the leaves is performed in 'several ways. According to one plan, a short drum stick called arancadera, or cogedera, is used. The tops of the leaves are taken in the right hand, and twisted round the pointed eud of the drum-stick, when a sudden upward and sideward pull tears the leaves from the atocha, leaving them collected in the left hand. By another method, the drum stick is replaced by a flat strip of leather ; and in a third plan, use is made of the hand alone, protected by a leather covering. As soon as the left hand is full, the bundle is secured, by turning one or two of its own leaves round it, and is laid on the ground to dry. Two of these bundles make a manada, 10-12 manadas make a hate, and 3 of the latter make a earga or donkey-load, which, when dry, weighs about 8 arrobas (2i cwt.), and is the recognized standard of measure by which esparto is bought in the interior of Spain. Harvesting can proceed only in fine weather ; wet not only
softens the ground, and allows the root of the plant to be torn up, but also causes the leaves to adhere most tenaciously to the stem—the crop is thus greatly reduced in value, and the plants are destroyed. Where the plants have been ill-treated, and are consequently of very irregular growth, it will be beneficial to have two harvests annually, for a year or two, taking the mature leaves in August, then, in the following February-March, those which have matured in the meantime. Judicious pulling is above all things necessary, in order to maintain an esparto plantation, Produce.—It is said that 10 tons of dry esparto may, under favourable conditions, be obtained from 1 acre of land.
Chief Localities of Production.—In Spain, the plant is found growing wild in the provinces of Guadalajara, Toledo, Ciudad Real, Albacete, Cordova, Jaen, Granada, Almeria, Murcia, Alicante, Valentia, Baleares ; the largest quantities occur in Almeria and Murcia. It is remarkable that Italy is almost entirely destitute of it. Spain was, for a long time, alone in supplying our markets with this grass ; but the increasing demand caused such recklessness in cultivating and harvesting, that the plant has been killed out in many places, and the supplies from Spain are now small as compared with those from N. Africa. Foremost among the African esparto-producing countries, is Algeria. It is divided into 3 provinces, Algiers, Oran, and Constantine. The N. limit of wild esparto in the first province is formed by a line passing through Ain Federel, Chatonmia, Ain Oussera, El Birin, and Toubia ; the S. limit extends beyond Laghouat. The whole comprises an area of about 2,500,000 acres, of which at least half is north of Djelfa.. Much of it cannot be profitably utilized without the construction of railways to transport it to the coast. In. Oran, the circles of Sebdon and Daia are almost entirely covered with esparto, extending from St. Delos, north of Sebdon, to beyond the Chotts, as far as the mountains of Ksour. The quantity obtainable is almost boundless. In the circle of Daia, it covers about 900,000 acres ; in the subdivision of Mascara, there is an immense field ; as also in the Bagh Aghalik of Foenda, in the circle of Saida, and through the whole country traversed by the strategic. route from Dais. to Tiaret. Most of this has been conceded to the France-Algerian Company, who are laying a railway from Saida to Arzew to convey the produce. In the subdivision of Setif (in Constantine), the circle of Bon Saada contains about 170,000 acres ; the subdivision of Batua, about 250,000 acres ; and in the neighbourhood of Tebessa and Ain Beida, there are about 150,000 acres. In all these places, transport is the one difficulty. Large quantities of esparto are produced in Tunis. It is •brought in loose bundles from a number of places, as Shebbat, Agareb, the bills of Hamamab, Zluss, Shirah, Gabes, Green, Zarat, &c. Shipments take place chiefly at Susa, Sfax, and Gerha ; also, in minor quantities, from Bugarah and Zerzis. Tripoli and Morocco also contribute considerable quantities.