THE STRENGTH OF TEXTILE PLANT FIBERS. 

 Table III. — Weight and breaking strain of hard fibers . 



21 



Fiber. 



Abaca (Manila hemp), Musa textilis: 



Highest 



Lowest 



Average 



Henequen (Yucatan sisal), Agave fourcroydes 



Sisal (Hawaii and East Africa), Agave sisalana 



Cantala (Manila maguey). Agave cantala 



Phormium (New Zealand hemp), Phormium tenax 



Zapupe Vincent (Agave lespinassei) 



Cabuva (from Costa Rica), Furcraea cabuya 



Breaking 



strain 



per 



gram 



meter. 



Grams. 

 75,143 

 29,521 

 45,115 

 20, 021 

 32,773 

 2,055 

 26, 159 

 27, 198 

 31,933 



Several different grades of abaca are recognized in the market, the 

 differences being due chiefly to greater or less care in cleaning the 

 fiber, and therefore this fiber presents a wide variation in weight per 

 meter and in strength. The highest and lowest figures given m the 

 foregoing table do not represent the extreme limits. Henequen and 

 sisal cleaned by machinery are more uniform. 



[Cir. 128] 



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