Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-03-31

at the worlds Fair.
RI n FAIR prospect is in view
~ ~ for the development of
~ new industry in this coun
try by making use OF the Il
bers OF pineapple leaves for weaving
said SPECIAL Agent Charles Richards
Dodge Of the Department OF Agriculture.
"Pineapples, you know are largely grown
in Florida. If the thousands Of tons o
leaves which now are thrown away coulc
be utilized commercially the profits o
the planters would be very much in
creased. Fabrics made from pineapple
fibre are the most delicate in the world
They look like gossamer and will slmosi
tioa; in the air. The fibre is one of tn,
finest known in the vegetable kingdom.
1t is employed to considerable extent
in India, but IS too costly to serve fol-
ordinary purposes. In that country tine
pineapple fibres are laboriOnsly separated
by hand, the ends of them being glued
together to make continuous threads.
LEAF fbres may be called the bones
of the leaves. Tney support and keep
IN shape the heshy vegetal structure.
To separate the tibres the leaves are
usually crushed, beaten and washed In
water, thus separating the pulpy parts
and leaving the skeletal system. The
skeletal portions of the leaves of many
plants serve for weaving into fabrics,
and these are called leaf fibers. OF course,
other commercial fbers are obtained
from plant stalks, as in the case of hemp
and ramie. The fiber known as
cotton is an envelope which nature pro-
vides for the protection Of the cotton
seed. BY cultivation the quantity of this
fiber contained IN each seed boil is great
ly increased.
Manila hemp is variety of the
banana. The Spanish moss, which hangs
IN festoons from trees In the South, be.
long to the same order as the pineapple.
This moss is also utilized as CONNER
cial fiber. 1t is treated in masses with
chemicals, which rot of its outer cover
ing or bark. After being dried 1t looks
like horsehair and is called vegetable
hair The Spanish moss is commonly
described as parasitic plant, being
supposed to thrive at the expense of the
trees on whict it grows; but that is Q
mistake. 1t is really an epiphyte-in
other words, an air plant, deriving its
sustenance from the air and not from the
tree. 1t is apt to injure the tree, more
or less, by smothering the buds, and 1t
IS most luxuriant on dying or dead trees,
because its own growth is not interfered
with by foliage.
"Some OF the most beautiful lace in
the world, known as 'Fayal lace, is
made in the Azores from the fibers of
bitter aloe leaves. This plant is allied
to the century plant. The lace is mAu-
ufactured By women and such high
order OF skill is required to produce it
that only about twenty-five women on
the island are able to make it, having
practiced the art from childhood. The
greater part of the product is sold in
Paris, where it brings an enormous price.
The ordinary century plant yields fiber
that is used in Mexico largely for cord.
age mats, paper and other purposes.
Yet another Kind of agsve, called the
'ixtle, affords a fiber which is imported
III considerable quantities into this
country for use instead of bristles for
making brushes. The finest quality
fetches as much as $500 a ton. This
plant is not cultivated, but grows wild
on the arid table lands, where no other
living thing can find moisture enough to
sustain existence.
"We import 81, 900, 900 worth of leaf
6bers annually, a large part Of which
ought to be grown in the United States.
At present experiments are being made
with the culture of ramie and sisal hemp
IN this country. Both are very valuable
dber plants. Sisal is a growth of huge
green bayonet-shaped leaves. When it
is mature it sends up with great rapidity
central stalk twenty-five feet high.
From the upper half of this stalk small
branches grow out bearing shaped
blossoms. Presently the blossoms wither,
the petals drop off, and in their place
leaves appear. Within few days where
each flower has been a complete little
sisal plant has developed, attached to
branch Of the parent stem. When 1t is
matured it drops upon the ground and
takes root if it can. This is method
of reproduction found in no other plant
save the sisal and few OF its near rela-
tives. Large tracts of sisal hemp are
found in south Florida, descending from
paintings made at various times within
the past fifty years. There is an allied
species, known as the 'false sissl, which
grows wild in many places along the
Florida coast, sometimes forming, to-
gether with the Spanish bayonet aud
prickly pear, impenetrable thickets.
1.-THE office of fiber investigation in
this department will exhibit at the
Worlds Fair large assemblage of ia
brics, etc., made from ramic fiber. At
present the commercial supply of ramie
is obtained mostly from China, but ef-
forts are being made to grow 1t in
France, Callfornla ana other parts OF the
world. There is no difficulty in Guilt
waiting it, inasmuch as it is one of the
most prolific of plants, but the difficulty
thus far has been to find way OF sepsrat'
ing the 6ber cheaply enough to be prof.
table. Ramie belongs to the nettle
family, being sometimes called the
'stingless nettle.' 1t is also known as
China grass, having been cultivated In
that country from time immemorial. The
fiber is formed in the bark Of the stalk.
Among the articles made from ramie are
lace curtains, dress goods, table aud bed
linen, upholstery goods and carpets. As
you will observe, the fabrics msnufac-
tured from it are very beautiful"
H..G