VEGETABLE FIBERS. 537 



tlie Doce Eiver, tlie milk of wliich is said to contain India rubber. Dr. 

 Nicolau J. Moreira, reporting on fibers from. Minas Geraes, in a little 

 brochure of 16 pages, thus writes of the i)lant producing these speci- 

 mens : 



The trunk leaves, or stalk leaves (i. e.,layers?), althotigli they cannot be separated into 

 distinct fibers, nevertheless offer an interest not less industrial. Bj' soaking, the leaves 

 come out whole; when introduced between iron cylinders, in consequence of the com- 

 pression suffered, they become very thin, yet preserving a remarkable width and 

 length. In this condition, to say nothing of their beiug objects of curiosity, it is pos- 

 sible to transform them into thick garments for country laborers or other workmen. 

 * * * Without further preparation, letters and official documents are written on 

 the precious bark of this rich tree of the Doce River. M. Leverino Costa Leite has 

 taken from one tree 275 cavados (206 yards) of bark sheets, three-fourths of a yard 

 wide. 



These samples are in the possession of the museum. 

 16.— Canabinacejs. 



Cannabis saliva. — Hemp. — In our rambles among the fiber-producing 

 plants of many lands, in the pages of this article we cannot fail to 

 notice h'ow often the word liemj^ is used and applied to so many differ- 

 ent fibers. 



However, we are considering now the true hemp-plant, which grows 

 not only in our own country, but in many other portions of the civilized 

 world, the fiber of which is so generally employed for rope that " stretch- 

 ing hemp " can have but one meaning. In fact, it has been so universally 

 employed in the manufacture of cordage that the value of all other 

 fibers, as to strength and durability, is estimated by it. In many of the 

 experiments of Eoxburgh and others we find "Eussian hemp" (Peters- 

 burg hemp) or " best Enghsh hemp " taken as standards of comparison. 



Its native home is India and Persia, although it is in general cultiva- 

 tion in many parts of the world, both in temperate and more tropical 

 climes, though only in large quantities for export in Eussia and Poland. 

 French hemp is much valued, as weU as that produced in England and 

 Ireland; but the finest quality comes from Italy, and is pronounced 

 fine, soft, light-colored, and strong. Hemp grows in all i3arts of India, 

 and in many districts flourishes in a wild state. It is but little culti- 

 vated for its fiber, although Bombay-grown hemp " was i)roved to be 

 superior to the Eussian." In portions of India, as well as other hot 

 countries, it is cultivated for its narcotic products, the great value of 

 which makes the India cultivators indilferent about the fiber.* Hemp 

 is largely grown in Japan for the manufacture of cloth. This industry 

 is very old, as prior to the introduction of silk- weaving it was the only 

 textile fabric of the country. 



As the processes of hackling, &c., are not applied in Japan, the ma- 

 nipulation of spinning is rather tedious, aU the fibers having to betaken 

 off one by one and the ends knotted together so as to form a thread of 

 sufficient length to be spooled and used for weaving. The province of 

 Yamato is the principal center of manufacture of herap fabrics, Kara, 

 the capital, alone producing 400,000 pieces 9 to 10 yards in length. 

 The Japanese method of cleaning and preparing hemp is to soak the 

 stems in water, after which the bark is stripped off, and, if necessary, 



* When it is grown for the resinous principle which forms the intoxicating drug 

 called clxang (Hasheesh), the plants are placed some distance apart, so that the air 

 and sun can get to them ; while for producing fiber the opposite treatment is required, 

 and the seed is sown thickly in order to force the stems to grow straight and tall 

 without branching. 



