The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1920-07-13
HAS WEALTH Or
F|BROUs PLANTS
Decline of Coffee and Rubber
Trade Brings Revival of Old
Industry In Brazil Gov
crnment Aids In Tests


Washlngton.---B Brazil, although COW
cred with hhroqs plants, imports s5,-
100000 worth of jute and Indian hemp
annually. The traveller, who watches o
long line OF cargadores staggering un-
der the weight OF bags Of coffee In the
port Of Santos. has only TO turn his
glasses toward the nelghboring hills TO
see some OF the best specimens Of fiber
yielding plants.
The answer is simple The country
Is 50 huge and at the same time so un-
derpopulated that all OF It's resources
viii not be developed for years to
co,ue. The recent announcement that
the federal government was ready TO
receiy, 40,000,000 Immigrants will give
some ide,, Of the existing ratio OF the
population OF this South American
state to It's area.
Lately. with the decline of the rub
Der industry, caused by the difficulty
IN competing with the rubber plania-
tions of the far East. aud since coffee
raising has become less profitable be-
cause OF oyerplantlng the country has
turned It's attention to the commercial
talue Of fibrous plants, and their deyel-
opment has begun 10 attract the atten-
ton OF investors. Nearly every Bra
lillian IS familiar with their fibers, and
an lnsistent propaganda has begun for
their exploitation. The government is
assisting, and experiments have devel-
oped several fibers OF assured CONNER
clal value. some OF which are described
in bulletin of the Pan-American
Union MS follows:
Only Fiber Exported.
"The only fiber that figures among
Brazilian exports to the United States
is plaSsava, kind Of hairy, plIable
bark. one company has 6,ooo,O00 trees
on its property north OF Bahia City;
another important source of supply is
the valley of the Rio preto. in northern
Bahia. The fhers measure from 10 Is
feet In length, the longer ones being
used in making ropes and twine and
the heavier. coarser kinds cut into
short strips for a number of uses. chief
of which are the manufacture of
brooms, brushes. hats and, to a limited
extent, sandals.
THE expectation of this fiber from
Bahia and Iheos to the United States
and Europe. as well as other parts OF
Brazil and South America, is increas-
ing yearly as new applications are
found for IL. In the United States It
Is used only in the manufacture Of
snow sweepers that are supplied to
street car companies.
"The traveller sailing up the straits
that lead into the picturesque little
Bay of Victoria, win notice what at
first glance appear to be bundles Of
huge broadSwords tied together at the
handles and pointing in every dlrec-
tion. A closer examination reveals
these bundles as green bushes, the
roots Of which must certainly be past.
ed against the sides OF the cliffs 10
keep the plant from falling into the
water. A common stalk cannot be de-
tected and, In fact does not exist the
bush being simply collection Of nam
moth leaves from ten 10 twelve feet
long that sprout independently from
single root.
"lt is the piteira, cousin Of the
famous agaye OF the Philippines, which
has the distinction OF being the first
tibrous plant to he cultivated by Euro.
peans in Brazil, where the first Portu-
guese coonists found the Indians
gathering the leaves of this plant for
use in the making of moccasins The
plants require from four 10 six years
to mature, but live from twelve to six
teen years, In comparison with sisal
which lives from ten TO twelve years.
The fiber is lighter than Indian hemp
and finer than hennequen from Yuca-
tan.
Spectacular History.
"Aramina. or guaxima toxa, has a
rather spectacular history. Repeated
experiments in Africa, India and Bra
I'll so encouraged botanists insthe lat
ter country that an intense propagan-
da for the manufacture of coffee bags
from this plant was begun and result
ed In the building of factory In Sac
Parlo for that purpose.
Although the factory attained an
output of 100000 bags year, and
found ready, enthusiastic buyers, diff
culties so increased that after a few
years OF operation the factory was de-
voted exclusively TO the manufacture
of bags from jute. The failure was not
due to the poor quality of the bags, but
rather TO the lack Of cooperation
among the planters.
I'm addition to aramina. which is SUI