508 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



*S. elaUis, of the West Indies, incorrectly labeled "Mahoe," is a tree 

 growing to a height of 60 to 80 feet. The Mahoe or Mahaut, of the West 

 Indies, H. arboreus, grows to a height of 16 to 20 feet, and its bark fur- 

 nishes a superior fiber, which, according to Squier, "is not at all inferior 

 to hemp for most purposes." The fiber is naturally soft and white, and 

 is admirable for the manufacture of paper. 



*I[ihisous tiliaceus. — This fiber, though not in the collection, is worthy 

 of passing mention. It is called majagua in Central America and the 

 West Indies, where its fiber is much used for cordage. It is little affected 

 by moisture, and is, therefore, selected by surveyors for measuring-lines. 

 It is the Bola of Bengal, and is found throughout tropical and subtropi- 

 cal regions of both continents. The native method of preparing the 

 fiber is to strip the bark from a branch — when a rope or piece of cordage 

 is wanted — and holding one end firmly between the toes, first" tearing 

 it in strips, it is twisted by the hands. " It was generally cultivated in 

 America prior to 1492." 



Ahutilon avicennce. — Indian Mallow. — This is another malvaceous 

 plant that has been cultivated in the United States to a limited extent. 

 It is an annual, usually growing to the height of 4 feet, though in 

 cultivation stalks 6 feet high are common, and Professor Waterhouse 

 records a height of 8 feet in Missouri. Gray states that it was intro- 

 duced from India, and when found in a wild state has escaped from cul- 

 tivation. It grows so freely upon any rich soil, even thrusting itself in 

 and growing spontaneously, that it has almost come to be considered 

 a farm pest in many portions of the country. It grows luxuriantly 

 throughout the West and IsTorth, the line of States from Ohio to Missouri 

 producing even now vast quantities of the fiber, which rots and goes to 

 waste upon the stalks every year. The fiber is strong, glossy, and white, 

 and the ligneous body of the plant gives more cellulose for paper stock 

 than many other species. Mr. Lefranc considers it superior to Indian 

 jute, and finer than Manila hemp, and he classifies it, in value, between 

 Manila and Italian hemp. 



Extracted from the plant in its yonng stage, it would be fine enough for textile 

 fabrics, such as carpet-yams and fillings. It takes readily any colors, and its natural 

 luster displays more in the aniline dye than in any other, a great advantage over In- 

 dian jute, which is antagonistic to chea]D bleaching and dyeing. 



The seed of the plant is so hardy that it is not affected by the severest 

 winter. Within a few years efforts have been made to introduce the fiber 

 into commerce, and to that end it has been the subject of experiment, both 

 as to cultivation and manufacture, with results to a certain degree satis- 

 factory, though perhaps the high standard of excellence that has been 

 claimed for it by enthusiastic experimenters has hardly been realized. 



Fully ten years ago it attracted considerable attention in the West, 

 and particularly in Illinois, through the endeavors of Mr. J. H. McCon- 

 nell, who demonstrated its value by manufacturing it into thread, cord- 

 age, rope, &c. A State fair committee in 1871 reported upon these 

 manufactures, and stated that the fiber gave flattering promise of utility. 

 According to this report the plants are stated to grow 9 to 14 feet high; 

 that the seed should be sown 12 to 16 quarts per acre, in corn-planting 

 time, in the same manner as hemp ; that it is cut with a reaper, shocked 

 hke hemp till cured, then water-rotted like hemp ; a volunteer crop will 

 spring up the last of July, which can be dew-rotted. The cost of cut- 

 ting is given at 75 cents per acre; water-rotting, $10; dew-rotting, $5; 

 hand cleaning, $12 ; and half as much by machinery, making the total 



•Species indicated by the asterisk have been separated into the genus Paritium. 

 For convenience, however, we will consider them under their old generic namea. 



