The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-02-17
rs IN THE SOUTH.
~, delivered by Professor u. P
AlIwsier Of houston
L..,.vf CHARLES RICE CONVENTION
xumber of Fiber Plants
,.c,d in Texas and Louis
iapa-Their Uses.

..,os La. February is. Below
.Ss address made by Prof, FL. r.
n Houston at the rice convention
tste Charles, February IA:
a,.,aest Ladies' and Gentlemen: at
N, ~ the officers of this conven-
.ad-css YOU on the subject OF
tho South" / have prepared the
=. short paper on this subject, but
w ,sst as il would be impossible
,,,,o allotted to me on this occasion
.,nIce 10 the whole of this important
1. shall simply call your attention
N lime TO the more familiar fiber
rch as cotton, fax. hemp. jute.
|, oalms. rushes and grasses.
~ recent years the fiber industry
...,,e,ed considerable attention In tue
| \ states. and the subject has been
.,,.,sd of so much Importance, that the
n s,stes department of agriculture
4, rsry recently published some very
'.,.ng renorts In regard to this mat
~ rssnlts of careful Investigations by
n duriug the last few years.
IN not be out of place before re-
4, "a the iber plants of this region,
z nv own experiments and investiga-
sisb cnltivated commercial tlbers, to
r'ur attention briefly to the history
|as,s in general and much of the fol-
II Information in regard to this part
subject | have obtained from a re.
N Ire useful fiber plants of the world
fssrIes Richard Dodge, special agent of
! lmestgatlons. United states depart
roi agriculture.
f,rp are over 1000 species of useful fiber
N kpown In the world.
4 Dodge has separated the fibrous sub
~ derived from plants into i've
~ His classification is as follows:
| Rsst 6bers. derived from the inner
\ Of plants.
woody fbers. from the stems. twigs
rcrs Of plants and trees.
Structural tbers. from the stalks. leaf
u and leaves.
[surface fbers. which consist OF the
n or hairs surroun ling seeds or con-
Ia IN pods, husks, etc.
False hbrous material. such as certain
Ia seaweeds and fungus growths.
IA most valuable commercial ihers of
IN were tuc ploulihNht upNlo VI uuNiVh ~
|,r. cotton, hemp. palms, seeds, rushes
grasses were known and valued for
Il fbers, in past ages by the inhabitants
both hemispheres,
Flea or how vegetable fibers first came
k used, will never he known, but 1t is
Nile that they were first employed in
lng man TO secure his food. as the ma.
i Of every country from the burning
his TO the frozen north have used flbers
/ thelf fish lines and nets, ana Ii might
further conjecturcd that the rude knot
Of the twisted tilaments of fiber i'll the
b Of nets, may have first suggested
lTlng and the substitution OF vegetable
|hhg for the skins of animals
Ilx has greater antiquity than any
|he !abers Of which we have any knowl-
b for It's cultivation goes back to the
y age in Europe. 1t is known to have
I manufactured by the Swiss Lake
PLIERS o people contcmnoraneouS with
long extinct mammoth and other great
|nmak. Specim ms of flax straw, fihel
iahflcs prepared by these people are
Stfsed In museums.
efore the books OF Genesis and Exodus
+ written The Egyptians were skilled
spinning and weaving tiaX. for both
.si.urs am manufacture OF mis- trNy
Irmsr,i p'e o,,d nn eHIHeu upon thslI
ps,aen,s; anu upon the walls OF theiI
r,rr,l snu ioliioS' -
s, n'asr llIlflcs OF linen l1VD years oil
NJ ~ M al % u among INC mummy
N, ysn wv as l so n5eh nas peen iqund' ang
FlS Si%p o one oony,
| inSns, NV WY 'lnS uaN were mouse
Fls,n vHu yo o,ies blolc times. Ihre{
IN n sr .1,s AZ ,nT Ihooslclnhs dlC
II L sr N,yNu anS culture OF NM, ane
ILfsns ~ iv"suI 70 pelleNc mat IN,
|,iso uluVIStonu ltS spinning anl