The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-17

Cotton was the ancient national textile |
OF india, and was also grown In Egypt,
lotion and Tar being often woven together
The cottons of India were famous and
Hindoo muslins were formerly produced
that were so tine that when laid upon the
visible.
How long. the use Of cotton has been
known TO the early ancestors OF some OF
our native Indians will never be known
but II Is fact that its use Is required
IN religious ceremonials In some of the
Tor cordnge In Egypt In very enrly tinl~s
MS the modern excavations have revealed
to US, and the fiber Is valued quite as high
ly by the present inhabitants.
The ancient Chhldeans and Babylonlaps
are said to have used this palm for every.
thing; Food, clothing, wine and the timber
for their hapitations There is plenty OF
world.
Old historians tell us that bullrushes
were used for cordage In Egypt as well as
for mating, curtains and sails. they also
say that boats were made of bulrushes
Ancient vessels of bullrushes are men
toned by Isaiah. The use of the inner
bark of the bullrushes by the Egyptians
FOR paper the well known papyrus, is even
more interesting.
Many OF the grasses have been used by
different nations in early times. coarse
grass called Esparto grass has been used
in Italy, Spain, Portugal and North Africa
for. centuries past, and also by the Greeks
the well known Egyptian hbre grasses Is
said to have been the straw that was
used In brick making. as it is found mixed
with the clay in old Egyptian bricks.
III more modern times travellers and ex-
plorers of foreign lands and Islands have
found the natives using ilbrcs Tor numer
Gus purposes. The savages of the North
Pacific, Indian ocean and South sea Islands
as we'll us the semi-civiiZed tribes of Aus
tralia, Africa and South America. at the
present time. are using ibres 10 a large
extent in the making of hundreds of ar.
ticles both useful and ornamental.
Vegetable hbres in some form or other
provide them with clothing, hats. caps,
wear, belts, armlets, head dresses war
masks. sails. cables, ropes, cord. Irvine,
thread, paper, boats, brushes, fish lines
socks, sandals, shoes, hammocks and other
things. In some countries the natives use
fibre ropes for bridges, fbres for thatchng
their huts and houses, aud for making UNI
buckets. and other vessels. Many other
things could be mentioned in the making
of which they use ibres either alone or
mixed with other substances.
1t is not necessary for me to call your
attention TO the many uses of tbres In our
own and other civilized countries We i'm.
port into the United States annually mill
ions of dollars worth of raw fibre me-
terial for the manufacture of numerous
fabrics. ropes Irvine, sacks. burlaps, bag
cling, carpets and other commercial prod
ucts.
Many experiments with growing aud cul-
tlvalmg dbrc plants have been made in the
United States during recent years-and
with much success.
The soil and climate of the Southern
States and especially in Louisiana and
Texas along the coast seems to he par
ticulary adapted to the growth of some
of the most important fibre plants. Some
of the commonest weeds growing Wild on
millions of acres from the Mississippi 10
the Rio Grande produce valuable CONNER
cal tbres. / have found hemp and lax
growing wild aud hourlshing In some parts
OF Western TeXas Intelligent experiments
with the growth and cultivation of hemp
laN 1ute and ramle III some parts OF tnqr
region | have mentioned show that thesa
pants grow even more luXuriantly tbSys
in their native climes. Mr.. Dodge in a.,
report says that with our improved IN
cultural implements, the ground canluirt
better prepared, ana that undo tcdlN eXpe
American yield OF these PLAN in ID 10 .
soil will he considerably higher TIL publ
Ddia. lie cotton slaik produces conce
cellent fibre which is beginning TO ,c, ~ ,
Attentions, | believe the day wiz. "
vn,n The nbre from one acre oNre pr
stalks VIII be worth as much as mosrs al
Nom ten acres OF cotton pods the Of
lhe grl Attest drawback 10 the flang thrt
try IN thls country has been thpanu viii
of proper machines for separating as,ra on
from the stalks, but Improves =. ,;-,,as :,
constantly being reported and ~ 'NheS
css toward perfection is being ientS 20 n,
Galveston Fibre company has ran have mad
iCctcd and is supplyin. maclep ,ioually az
sad TO do good work on ran she has Ion
stalks. tn keen I'm ht
II is the opinion of those W., ri,po 1p ~
careful study ana estimat,"
and cost OF raising and me-
products thar the profit TO tb' s the til
grows fibre crops will be
than that obtained from otDmely from IN
areat advantage is that cted in the me
~ IN "t ieS' nnd r ofhe 1 ipsc E. NJ H4n
he depending on the quapsinclph menoe.
her OF bushels OF grains, sCnown as Char
he viii have to SELL but oft Is expected thl
Tor MS money. iged for the trans
Weeds aud fibre stalks III storlraI Cbo
. militant critivatiop 1onwere to have a,
cuItmre with thar of cote not learned h
house of Washington unip OF The Lash I
following statement over
The raising of cotton
costly. From the turnil III. -
10 the completion OF thee pay "h'cn LOT
ting care is necessary 10 anon Crawford al
crop, but the tillage OF i Mr. 1ar,oyr
easy and inexpensive. TEn -"ls' Leno'
the stalks have been gataintenon, tn Ions
most OF Ine worA an ana Mutual wife OF Lou
cess in tho ot1cn,nt to al the story of j
United States. for a lalhn actual incideI
expended upon the cult rotagopist, and IN
cssarily manual But II pr.or 10 ne. ma
the work which preparreiIn. Nadine T
Ret can be performedse recall. in min
| TTo a,so s+o+os .hot conc cIe 4 OF IN
| Of 500 nm acre for Il pc, IN 10 whom II
| c. l.. Angel of the t1c sirSs the ode
pany recently estfmap Eleanor ROBSON
acre in Texas to be Sin the 5. GODDARD Cras
| Estimates by othfTeine written with hi
I experimenters in regs
crops are equally enc,
The fibre industry
the most important o who ventures in the
tbot in vbo my ncap fntn he earns as an in
as common as cotton q, makes known Il
the Southern States. 80 10 revs,e ..t-ncr
Prof Attw,+er illus tepectacu ar scale,
exhibiting samples of AcAuehy OF MIS-
to which he called auth His selections
many beautiful and Interesting Wilto
from fbres by the maj Un,le Tom. ode
sea islands and other Fletcher. NJ VI,
made from the bark oftssss,,i -, -
nets, fish lines and nu Me- Me- i.as il4ou .i -
These specimens were " pi cesar Win T.
Of fibre products in hlsconple of seas rs
which Is located Mt tcourt, George la
showed beautiful samI MARKS
fibres raised In Texas q
growth. The specmenS~
ton seed hulls and the tette Of comic pc
he exhibited were esnect - ~ -
the audience His addrH Aiaons VNe u
an Important one by tiles since that for
was appref'a'ea ana ap been miscall,
~ try tleu
Alvin News iAe HoYeFAo.