105 



PINA. 



{Ananas sativus.) 

 Pifia (Sp., F.) ; malisa (Camarines) ; pineapple (E.) ; pita (II.)- 



Piiia cloth is made from the leaves of the pineapple plant. 

 In the Philippines the plant may be found in cultivation in 

 almost all inhabited parts of the Islands, but generally in 

 very limited quantities in any one place. The fruit is too 

 well known to need description. The leaves are long, lance- 

 like in form, from 1 to 1.5 m. in length and 5 to 7 cm. in 

 width. 



PREPARATION. 



The process of preparing the fibers for industrial pur- 

 poses varies in minor details in different provinces. In 

 the main, it consists in removing the spines from the sides 

 of the leaf and scraping the latter with a blunt object of 

 some kind, such as a piece of pottery, bamboo, iron, and 

 the like. A knife would be too sharp and would cut the 

 fibers too easily. The particles of pulp adhering to the 

 fibers are generally removed with the finger nail and the 

 material is then washed in water and hung up to dry. 

 Fibers of the same thickness are then tied together much 

 in the same waj^ as is done with abaca. 



USES. 



Pineapple fibers may be woven into a rather coarse gauzy 

 fabric (sinamay) or into a very fine textile (piila). This 

 piiia is often delicately embroidered and made into exquisite 

 centerpieces, doilies, handkerchiefs, and other articles. 



At present the demand for a fine grade of piiia is greater 

 than the supply. Pure pifia washes and wears well. It 

 is often mixed, however, with banana fibers. These latter 

 weaken the fabric as they break more easily than pineapple 

 fibers. Banana fibers, too, become darker in color with 

 each successive washing. 



ABACA. 



{Musa textilis.) 

 Abaca (F., Sp.) ; Manila hemp. 



In appearance, abaca closely resembles the banana plant, 

 but may be distinguished from it by its narrower leaves. 



