12 PHILIPPINE FIBER PLANTS 



Philippine bast fibers are derived from plants ranging in 

 size from small shrubs to large trees and belonging chiefly to 

 the families Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae. 

 As yet none of these fibers have entered into the external 

 commerce of the Islands, but their manufacture into ropes is 

 an important local industry. Mendiola has made a microscopic 

 study of a number of these fibers and has given some data on 

 the cost of production and the tensile strength of ropes made 

 from them. The fibers studied by Mendiola were the basts of 

 Ahroma fastuosa, Kleinhovia hospita, Melochia umbellata, Urena 

 lobata, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Malachra capitata, Triumfetta bar- 

 tramia, Grewia multiflora, Pipturus arborescens, Sesbania 

 grandiflora, Columbia serratifolia, Malachra fasciata, and Wiks- 

 troemia ovata. From the figures given by Mendiola it v^ould 

 appear that, with labor at 80 centavos a day, the cost of manu- 

 facture (not including the collection) of these fibers into rope 

 would be greater than the present selling price; from which 

 it would appear that there is little prospect of any considerable 

 industry in the manufacture of such rope. However, as a local 

 industry between seasons, it does afford a man an opportunity 

 to utilize his spare time profitably. Some of these bast fibers, 

 notably Abroma fastuosa and Urena lobata, have been considered 

 as having great commercial possibilities. This subject has been 

 extensively dealt with by King. 



In Table I, taken from King, is shown the relative strength 

 of various bast fibers both dry and wet, as compared with abaka 

 and other standard fibers. Except where noted, the ropes were 

 made by the plane-stripping process and so the strands con- 

 tained considerable extraneous tissue in addition to the bast. 

 Data from King are given in discussions of the various fibers 

 studied by him. 



Table II gives the dimensions of the various fibers studied 

 by Mendiola. 



