498 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



witli a view of impressing upon our farmers at tliis time the importance of fiber cvtlti- 

 vation as an element of farm practice, in the hope that languishing industries may be 

 revived, and new ones established. The present extent of American fiber industries 

 is shown, the best practice in regard to cultivation and preparation of the fiber has 

 been given, and the subject of manufacture and machinery briefly considered. The 

 Bpealal encouragements and hinderances have been carefully and impartially presented, 

 in the hope that those most interested may profit by the suggestions. 



I take this opportunity of bringing to your notice the names of a number of gentle- 

 men and firms, to whom I am under obligation for kijictly assistance rendered, as well 

 as for specimens of fibers which are herewith presented to the museum. My acknowl- 

 edgements are specially due to Mr. Emile Lefranc, of Philadelphia, Prof. S. Water- 

 house, of Saint Louis, Dr. Samuel C. Brown, of Newark, N. J., Mr. J. R. Proctor, 

 Frankfort, Ky., Messrs. Tucker, Carter & Co., and Barbour Bros., of New York City, 

 Messrs. R. B. Storer & Co., of Boston, and Joseph Chisholm, of Salem, Mass. 



Specimens of fibers were received from Mr. Chisholm, Messrs. Storer & Co., who 

 donated some fifty or more samples of foreign flax ; Cable Flax Mills, New York, Mr. 

 Lefranc, ramie; Mr. D. Hickox, Springfield, 111., who sent samples of flax and abutilon 

 paper; A. Stoner, Stony Point, La., and Charles Lauga, New Orleans, La., samples of 

 bagasse, and paper made from it. 



I have also to thank you for kindly assistance in supplying and sending out the 

 circular to manufacturers, and for encouragement and co-operation in the work. 

 I have the honor to be, very respectfully, yours, 



CHARLES R. DODGE. 



Hon. Wm. Q. Le Due, 



Commissioner of AgricuUure. 



VEGETABLE FIBEES. 



PART 1. 



Very large and valuable additions of textile and other fibers have 

 been made to tbe museum in the last two years, embracing not only a 

 full series of the more valuable foreign filDers, but many that are rare 

 and little known. As these are in many instances accompanied by in- 

 teresting and reliable data, and as the fiber series is now quite complete, 

 it seems fitting that the collection should be fully described for the 

 benefit of the many who are unable to avail themselves of the benefits 

 of the museum. To that end, at your request, I have prepared the fol- 

 lowLQg report on the vegetable fibers at present upon exhibition in the 

 museum, with particular reference to those generally mentioned as miscel- 

 laneous fibers, many of which are comparatively little known in this 

 country, even to our manufacturers. 



Many of these form large industries in foreign lands, that are consid- 

 erable sources of wealth, some of which might, perchance, be produced 

 in our own country and add to its already vast resources. Others are 

 known only to a very limited extent as commercial products, and are 

 chiefly valued by the natives of the countries in which they are indige- 

 nous, who prepare and manufacture them rudely for personal wants ; a 

 few, perhaps, are almost entirely unknown, and their names, rarely, if 

 ever, mentioned in lists of fiber plants. Although the report includes 

 the principal known vegetable fibers and fibrous substances of which 

 specimens could be obtained, a few, already well known in the United 

 States— cotton, flax, ramie, jute, and hemp— have been given but a pass- 



