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strips are used mainly for hats, baskets, handbags and tobacco 

 cases. The epidermis of the unopened leaflets can readily be 

 removed and is known as raffia. This is equal in strength to 

 the Madagascar raffia which is more commonly found in the 

 U. S. market. In the Philippines rafiffa is often woven into 

 cloth. The schools have extended the use of raffia to the manu- 

 facture of screens, carriage cushions and bags in macrame weave. 



The midribs of the unopened leaves, while still yellowish- 

 white in color, are bleached, spliced, and made into very fine 

 hats known in Manila as Calasiao hats and in the Visayas as 

 Pototan hats. Because of their good wearing qualities and 

 dressy appearance they are much admired by Filipinos and 

 have a well-established market. 



The petiole of the opened Buri leaf is cut into sections two to 

 three feet long. One end of it is frazzled and the inner fibers, 

 mostly stereome tissue, are pulled out by hand. While the process 

 is apparently simple it requires dexterity and skill to avoid break- 

 ing the fibers as they are being pulled out. Another way of getting 

 the fibers is to pound the whole petiole and then pull the fibers 

 out; but on drying it is found that such fibers frequently become 

 discolored. These fibers are made up chiefly into hats, beautiful 

 in texture and appearance, and are known in the Philippines as 

 Buntal hats. In the U. S. market these hats usually un- 

 bleached and of medium quality and grade are known as Bangkok 

 hats.* The fibers are also excellent for small baskets. 



Within the last few years it was discovered that the petioles 

 furnished an excellent basketry material needing no artificial 

 dyes to enhance the beauty of the natural product. Thus, 

 scraping off the epidermis of an old petiole, splints dark brown 

 in color verging almost to a black may be obtained. Younger 

 petioles yield lighter shades. Still lighter material is obtained 

 by scraping below the darker portions of the petioles. Thus 

 great variations in color are obtainable by proper manipulation, 

 and the colors are permanent. The chief palms so used are 

 Arenga mindorensis and Arenga saccharifera (sugar palm). The 



* Inquiry of the U. S. consul at Bangkok elicited the information that no hats 

 are made in the town except in prison, and that these hats are manufactured only 

 for prison consumption. 



