46 Fibres of the Hawaiian Isla?ids. 



the length of the filaments, "long staple" measuring from one to 

 one and a half inches, and "short staple" averaging less. The 

 climate of these Islands is well suited to the growth of cotton, 

 Gossypiiun tomentosimi and G. drynarioidcs being both indigenous 

 to these Islands, but of little commercial value on account of their 

 short staple. 



During the War of the Rebellion considerable quantities of 

 cotton were grown in Hawaii and exported to America, but for 

 many and obvious reasons it will probably never again rank among 

 the exports of this territory. It grows well on most soils, but not 

 equally so on all and requires a summer long enough for it to ma- 

 ture. The strong cortical fibre of the cotton plant has lately been 

 the subject of experiment, and for some time it was fondly imagined 

 that an additional profit would be derived from this source by planta- 

 tions devoted to the cultivation of surface cotton. The failure of 

 these attempts is generally admitted, as no machine can operate 

 upon the tough, gnarled stems of the plant grown for ordinary 

 cotton. To derive commercial bast fibre from this plant would 

 demand an entirely different culture, entailing the rapid growth of 

 straight long stems from closely set seeds. 



HIBISCUS. 



KxoGEN. Bast F'ibre. Malvaceae. 



The hibiscus is a very large group of plants belonging to the 

 MalvacecB^ an order remarkable for its fibres, which include cotton 

 and okra. They are widely spread over the warmer regions of the 

 globe and are very generally used by the native races for cordage, 

 mats and allied manufactures. The florescence of the various 

 species of MalvacecB is generally large and showy, the different 

 whorls being arranged in divisions of five. The flowers of the 

 cotton, garden hibiscus, hau, hollyhock, mallow and marshmallow 

 are well known. The most generally known tree of this genus is 

 probably Parititim tiliaceuni^ which occurs abundantly in the Pacific 

 and is the native hau of these Islands. It is now grown chiefly for 

 its generous shade and is often seen trained to form lanais and 

 arbors. Its fibre is tough and pliant and was formerly used exten- 

 sively by the natives for mats and cordage, while its light wood 

 afforded the iako of their canoes and the handles of their adzes. 



