ABACA (MANILA HEMP) — EDWARDS 329 



Investigations of this situation, made by fiber specialists of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, led to the conclusion that 

 studies should be made of the practicability of introducing abaca 

 into Tropical America. At that time there was no general under- 

 standing of this problem, the then future happennings of World War 

 II seemed unlikely to occur, and the advisability of attempting to 

 bring abaca to the Western Hemisphere was questioned. The intro- 

 duction was made, however, and in 1925 abaca plants were brought 

 from the Philippine Islands to the Republic of Panama and the so- 

 called Panama Abaca Project was established. For many years there 

 was no marked change in the situation in the Orient, supplies of 

 Philippine abaca fiber continued to be available, and this project in 

 Panama led a somewhat precarious existence. At times it was almost 

 abandoned, but abaca is a hardy plant and the few plants that had 

 been brought to Panama continued to live. The few persons who 

 were interested in this project continued to believe that in course of 

 time there would be need for Western Hemisphere abaca. That time 

 arrived on December 7, 1941, and 6 days after Pearl Harbor the com- 

 mercial development of abaca production in Central America was 

 actively under way. 



FIBER NOMENCLATURE 



The term "hemp" has become in the fiber industry almost a synonym 

 for the word "fiber." In numerous instances fibers entirely different 

 in type and obtained from plants having no close botanical relation- 

 ship are known as hemp. In the fiber trade these many different 

 hemps are distinguished by the name of some town or city from which 

 they are, or have been, exported. Sisal hemp, for example, is not 

 hemp and is no longer exported from the port of Sisal in Yucatan. 

 This situation has resulted in confusion and in many errors in sta- 

 tistical data. The fiber that is commonly known as Manila hemp or 

 Manila fiber is not hemp, and relatively small quantities of this fiber 

 are now shipped from Manila. The word "abaca," which is of Malay 

 origin, is used in the Philippines to designate this fiber and also the 

 plant from which it is obtained. The increasing production of abaca 

 fiber in countries other than the Philippine Islands has led to a more 

 general use of the word "abaca," and it appears probable that this 

 fiber, when produced in the Western Hemisphere, will be known both 

 in the trade and elsewhere as abaca fiber. 



THE ABACA PLANT 



The abaca plant, Musa textilis, is a perennial growing from short 

 rootstocks. A mature abaca plant or "mat" consists of a group of 

 stalks from 6 to 15 feet in height, which are formed by the broad over- 



