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sugar palm also furnishes material for rope that is highly resistant 

 to the action of salt water. To a less degree the fibers surround- 

 ing the trunk are suitable for bristles of brushes. 



The coconut-palm maybe mentioned here for its fiber products. 

 The leaves are used extensively for roof-thatching. The fibers 

 surrounding the nut (coir) are employed in the manufacture of 

 door mats'. The midribs of the leaves are strong enough for 

 chairs and tables. The central cylinder of the young roots of 

 the coconut-palm can be utilized as basketry material. 



The nipa palm {Nipa fructicans) plays an important part in 

 the industrial life of the Filipinos, as it is the principal source for 

 the manufacture of alcohol. Its leaves are used even more 

 extensively than those of the coconut-palm for thatching. 

 Some slight use is made of the splints and midribs obtained from 

 the petioles and leaves. 



In former times, hats were made in the Philippines from fine 

 splints obtained from species of rattan, especially Calamus mollis. 

 Now the weaving of rattan splints into hats has been almost 

 abandoned because of the difficulty in preparing fine splints 

 from the stem and the skill required in weaving the short fibers 

 into a hat. Besides, weaving can only be done, when the air is 

 sufficiently moist. The hats are beautiful and durable and are 

 sold at almost any price from fifteen dollars (^15.00) up. 



The little town of San Miguel, Bulacan, is the center of the 

 native rattan chair industry in the Philippines. The chairs are 

 patterned after Vienna chairs. 



Screw-pines 



Growing usually in profusion along the littoral of the Philip- 

 pines is the common screw-pine, Pandanus tectorius. Very little 

 use is made however of its fiber, although it seems that the 

 epidermis of this pandan leaf, or of one very similar to it, is used 

 extensively in Japan for the manufacture of "Panama hats." 



The pandan that enjoys the greatest popularity among the 

 Filipinos because of its flexibility and softness is Pandanus 

 sahotan or Pandanus tectorius var. sinensis. No female in- 

 florescence of this pandan has ever been found and so Philippine 



