69 



THE INDUSTRIAL FIBER-PLANTS OF THE 

 PHILIPPINES^ 



With Plates CLVII and CLVIIP 



Although the Filipino people used the fibers of palms, screw- 

 pines and other plants perhaps from times immemorial, it is 

 primarily due to the untiring efforts of the Bureau of Education 

 in those Islands that the Filipinos were brought to a fuller and 

 deeper realization of the wealth of industrial materials abounding 

 in their country for the manufacture of a great variety of articles 

 of economic importance. It is the purpose of this article to 

 describe briefly the important fiber-plants in the Islands and to 

 illustrate how and in what way fibers are prepared and utilized. 

 As a matter of convenience the plants will be grouped under 

 various headings, the classification indicating botanical rela- 

 tionship rather than present economic importance. 



Palms 



One of the tallest of the palms growing in the Philippines is 

 Corypha elata, commonly known in the Islands as the Buri palm 

 and in India as the Talipot palm. The palm is characterized by 

 large orbicular leaves near the apex of its trunk. After reaching 

 maturity, variously estimated at from 25 to 45 years, it flowers 

 and fruits once and then dies. It is interesting to note that the 

 palm develops a much branching inflorescence often 20 feet high. 

 Between the ages of five and twelve years the plant is of the 

 greatest economic value. 



The young unopened leaves of the shoot, while still yellow and 

 without chlorophyl, are spread out to dry in the sun and then 

 cut up into strips. Such strips are used for sugar bags and coarse 

 mats. If the strips are to be used for better and finer grade 

 articles, they are bleached more thoroughly by boiling them 

 in water containing vinegar, or in various other ways. These 



1 An exhibit of the chief industrial fiber-plants of the Philippines will soon be 

 ready for public inspection in the Museum Building of the New York Botanical 

 Garden. 



''Plate CLVIII was furnished through the courtesy of Mrs. Mabel R. Dow, 

 who conducts a basketry store at 173 Madison Ave., N. Y. City. 



