The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
USEFUL FIBRE PLANTS.
INTERESTING FACTS IN VIEW DE-
sCRIPTITE CATALOGUE
A total Or l.ois Species in the worid-The
puost valuable Vow Were Also the Most
valuable In Ancient Times-TextiIe SKIN
In the East-VRluabic Fibreu Overlooked.

la ANo tNNNN vi NV
Denartment OF Agriculture, has just issued a dc.
~.oriptive catalogue OF the useful fbre plants OF
the world. which includes LOIS species. 1t Is
likely to prove a valuable addition to tho liter
sture OF economic Industries, as no work on
,hl, subject so complete has ever been issued by
anv country. Mr.. Dodse's attention was at.
.racted to this line OF Investigation by the Aus.
tralian exhibit at the Philadelphia Centennial,
which illustrated a series OF experiments in
economic rbre Investigation conducted by DIR.
Guilfoyle Of the Melbourne Botanic Gardens.
The Importance OF hbre plants for CONNER.
etal uses has increased largely as the qualities
Of unknown plants have been investigated. IL
is . fact. however. and an interesting one, that
The most valuable commercial hbres to-day
we're the most valuable commercial hbres OF an.
rient times, an Illustration Of the survival of
.he attest Flax, cotton, hemp, the lliaceous
l5res. many Of the palms and roots, were valued
in past ages, and were employed In connection
with common animal 6bres, as wool, hair, and
ak. M. Dodge says that 1t may be coujec-
tured that the rude knotting Of the twisted dla-
ments Of nbre in the form Of nets may have
suggested the frst weaving. and then the sub
~,tttution OF vegetable clothing for the skins of
animals.
According TO his catalogue. haI has Q great
q antiquity than any OF the other ahres known
IoNAyaA v 10 SSAk~ Saw OWE SeNN W IL okohu
arc in Europe. It Is known to have been
manufactured BY the Swiss lake jewellers, q
reople contemporaneous with the long extinct
mammoth and other great mammals OF tho
quAternsry epoch, as specimens OF the straw,
fbrc, and fabrics prepared by them are pre-
served In museums. At Q later period. though
,,.l remo-e by four or ave thousand years tho
Egyptians cultivated O somewhat different
aax thai resembled the commercial article Of
to-day. They were skilled In spinning and
weaving dax before the books Of Genesis and
Exodus were written. and pictures Illustrating
the culture and manufacture Of this textile are
carved upon the walls of palaces, temples, and
tomba Egyptian fabrics OF linen $500 years
old. ranging from the most delicate tissues to
ssuH IKE sail cloth. have been found among the
mummy cloths, and as many as 800 yards wero
sometimes used to envrap one body. The
linens were both white and dyed In colors, yell
low, red. and purple, and they were handsome
y embroidered. The Phenicians did much to
extend tho culture Of fax and the at OF weav-
ing linen. as their ships plouShed the Atlantic
mora than 5000 years ago, and centuries be-
fore Christ the Bahylonians wsre noted for
their luxury and the high state OF tho develop
ment Of their textile art. haI. cotton, and wool
being manufactured by them
Wool" says Mr.. Dodge. was more grown
al aAAAO1b bAoA A0A NAASeSH AAo AAAAN4
textile was produced in certain favorable dis
tricts and imported In large quantities for man
ufacture. There was q distinct linen industry.
slaves being the operatives. as well as a house
palace. If possible, a special room was set apart
FOR the occupation OF weaving. In Homerio
degree familiar with weaving. but With spin.
riag and en- roidery. and the dtStaH and spin
Greece. 90 in Rome there we're regular linen es-
Adjustments. and at the same time a domestic
manqfacture p%racttced By matds and matrons.
Woollen was earlier used for, clothing by the
Romans; then linen was employed. first for do
nestle uses, then as a dress material. the wo-
men adopting Il before the men.
"Regartins the early use OF linen in our
own country, the time when American history
began TO DO made Is 50 recent that the word
both dax and hemp were known 10 the ancient
Me1isan s., Or Aztses: sho oRsi I can refer to no
While it has been shown that cotton was
the ancient national textile Of India its cult
that country. Flax was tho aristocratic tex
tile Of Egypt. and was generally cultivated,
81 sf' The s't ssgat rs' S s5saa and 'f ine s9g Ners ,d 2ass
times woven together fax warp and cotton
woEn; Jus: a. y mixed TOW ItneH, Is made in the
as pure cotton cloths. were largely used in
couches. and probably also as drapery hang
l4gs; The cottons OF India were lannon's, and
were 50 dne that when laid upon the grass and
WEI with dew they became invisible. The mar
velious fabrics OF Cos and Tarentum, by some
Ilid 20 have been made from cotton. We're more
mist around the female form. disclosing The
record 0, q muslin turban thirty English yards
In length. contained in a cocoanut set with
: ;%SGSts' ,c ~aiS9 EaS tei 10 S sHq Ebe toGcb me + mat pa Im ~
possible 10 say how far back into the ages cot
ton was drst 4sed in India, and though it is re-
cGstry was old at that time. Cotton was a
late tntrod lction into Greece, though 1t was
Known 200 B. C.. and even linen was an intro
duCed textile, which anne slowly into favor at
< lime when wool was almost universally used.
Turning to the Western world and 10 the
aboriginal civilization OF the lRca-. We find the
ancient Peruvtlns,, with their simple hand
and nni- b. Both cotton and wool were used in
the different articles Of dress OF these people
Aexicans. were familiar with cotton. as we'll
a. several other vegetable tibres. With cotton
ana teatheEs We are tod they produced a soft
Ties and blankets, and examples OF their plain
cotton fabrics are said 70 have been rs fine az
come Of the imported linens Of the present age.
Regarding the early use OF cotton on this con-
ilnent, there are abundant records to show that
y has been cultivated moro or less generally
for four or Ave centuries. How long il mad
becn known to the early ancestors or =one Of
tae Inc, native indian tribes OF our own country
VIII never be known, although rom the fact
that its use Is required in religious ceremonials.
"a in the Hopi indian tribe. we may be sure
-. SHNA hA1' ~ nv W lUllD lllDn.
The dote palm Afforded valuable Material for
cordRge in Egypt in very early times, as mod
ern excavations have shown, and Pliny says
that even the papyrus wa, used for cordage,
a. well as for mating. curtains, and atls.
W The two dozen species OF commercial hbre
Gsed II the United states, twenty figure in the
lLSt OF imported raw products. Taking into
sccount also the imported manufactures from
tbrolI. substances and some OF tho rougher
Manufactures from fbres, the complete list OF
American commercial flores may be swollen 10
thirty, though many OF these are unimportant.
Ihis list includes fax, China grass, hemp, jute,
SUM hemp, Cuba hast, used In millinery: cot
Ten and sisal and manila hemp. cocoanut fibre,
Mexican ,whisk. Spanish moss, and vegetable
ipon1e. Since the cultivation OF sisal hemp as
a commercial article was begun in the BAHIA.
Inas this industry has thrived until IL Is one of
the chief sources Of revenue OF Nassau.
AS 10 the sources OF supply NJ these fbres."
sssys Mr.. podgs fax is imPorted chiefly from
Kinsdom OF Great Britain and Ireland, and
rom Canada. China grass or ramie comes
from China. lin very small quantities.. Hemp
Is derived from Russia, France, Belgium, Ger
many. ;AIstrta-H Hungary Italy, the Netherlands,
and British East Indies THE last in trifins guam
NY; tute from India, and Cuba hast from the
Vest Indies. The imports OF cotton are chiefly
Produced in Egypt and Peru. though small guam
tltfaA NAV hA 1artvaI fr@pn -NA.. ,nt.,A