FIBER PLANTS 149 



Sea Island and Egyptian, but they arc not the most pro- 

 ductive kinds. 



Cultivation and Uses. Cotton will grow well in most 

 soils which are not exceedingly wet or shallow. Much 

 lime improves the soil. The commonest cotton is a 

 small bush. Its seed are sown in rows a meter apart. 

 Many seeds are planted, and the young plants are after- 

 ward thinned out to about 80 cm apart. Fine weather 

 is necessary for the ripening and harvesting of the crop. 

 The seeds are valuable for the oil they contain. The 

 fibers are hairs on the seed. 



Of what use to plants are the hairs of the seed? In what forms is 

 cotton imported into the Philippines? 



Kapok. The kapok, or silk-cotton tree, is a large tree, 

 common in towns in the Philippines. Its fiber, like that 

 of cotton, consists of tufts of hair; these are not borne on 

 the seed, but the seed is embedded in them. Its fiber is 

 too curly to be used in making cloth; but it is excellent 

 for stuffing pillows, and for similar uses. 



Jute, Rattan, etc. There are many other Philippine 

 plants whose fibers have some value. Among these are 

 jute, a weed in many of the towns; ramie, a wild bush; 

 bow-string hemp, which is often planted for ornament 

 along streets and walks; and the various kinds of rattan, 

 or bcjuco. The fiber of the coconut husk is spoken of 

 in another chapter. Good paper can be made of cogon, 

 bamboo, and many other Philippine plants. 



