348 PLANTS AND MAN 



than either flax or hemp, hence are quite stiff; their length and 

 abundance in the stems, along with their cheapness and ease of 

 spinning, make them valuable. They are not very strong, and 

 deteriorate rapidly when exposed to moisture. In spite of its 

 perishable nature, jute is the world's leading material for use as 

 burlap bags, covers for cotton bales, potato sacks, linoleum and 

 carpet backing, brown twines, and tarpaulins. 



Ramie, or China grass, is a fiber plant belonging to the nettle 

 family. It is a perennial plant, producing from two to four crops 

 of canes annually in southeastern Asia, where it has been used 

 since primitive times. It is a plant of warm climates, requiring a 

 fertile, well-drained soil; cultivation on an experimental scale 

 has been carried on in California and the southern states. The 

 fibers, located beneath the outer bark layer, are fine, very long 

 and lustrous, possess a high durability and a strength greater 

 than that of any other fiber. The only objection to ramie is the 

 difficulty with which it is extracted from the plant — a process 

 involving mostly hand labor. The canes are peeled of their bark 

 and the outer green tissues stripped or scraped from the fibrous 

 parts by hand. The fibers thus left are heavily coated with gum, 

 which must be removed by repeated washing in water and drying 

 in the sun. Studies are being made to find a simpler degumming 

 process, which at the same time will improve the pliability and 

 cohesive qualities of the fiber. In its natural condition, ramie is so 

 smooth as to prevent its manufacture into textiles requiring great 

 strength. In Asia, and parts of Europe, it is used for the manu- 

 facture of dress goods, underwear, upholstery, and paper. 



Fibers from Dicot Fruits 



The two fibrous products included in this group arise as a 

 dense hairy covering of seeds, within the seed pod or boll as it 

 is known in cotton. They originate as outgrowths of the epidermis 

 of the young developing seeds. m 



Cotton is the world's most important fiber plant, constituting 

 the greatest industrial crop as well as being one of man's oldest 

 cultivated plants (fig. 233). Several species of the cotton plant 



