184 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



could not be used for pifia cloth, but it has good strength and 

 seemed to be a fair substitute for sisal. 



Caraguata (Bromelia argentina), a native of Paraguay and 

 Argentina, yields a soft, silky fiber from the leaves 4 to 6 feet 

 long and much resembling pineapple fiber. It is much used by 

 the natives for making cordage and sacks. B. pinguin of West 

 Indies, Central America, and South America, also called wild 

 pineapple, yields a leaf fiber which is, however, not of much 

 commercial value. B. sylvestris, native of the West Indies and 

 Central America, has been called silk grass and "Bromelia 

 istle." The fiber from the leaves of this plant is strong and 

 silky and is much used by the natives for cordage and various 

 other purposes. 



OLONA 



Olona (Touchardia latifolia) is a native Hawaiian shrub at- 

 taining a height of 3 to 10 feet. The shrub belongs to the net- 

 tle family, the flowers somewhat resembling those of the 

 nettle. The olona occurs generally in deep ravines on all the 

 Hawaiian islands, but is not particularly common anywhere. 

 The fiber is highly prized by the natives for use in making 

 fish nets and fish lines. It is extremely strong, flexible, and 

 of great durability. Fish lines known to be 100 years old are 

 still in prime condition. It shows a most unusual resistance 

 to the influence of either fresh or salt water. The fiber is taken 

 from wild plants by hand methods, the pulp of the bark being 

 separated from the fiber. The plant has never been cultivated 

 and the fiber is therefore not of commercial importance. 



DEVIL'S COTTON 



This tree, known to botanists as Abroma augusta, is native 

 of India, China, Java, and the Philippines. It is a small tree 

 cultivated to some extent in India. It yields a strong bast 

 fiber which is white and of great strength. The fiber is fine 



