I 103 ] 

 Ayaveae (also certain other fibre plants) or to their products 



Bulletin, 

 page 



REMARKS 



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See the next, and Rakas. 



Cf. Rakas, etc. 'Brahm* or 'Birm* is prefixed to the names of 

 various prickly plants throughout India. 



The history of this 'pita' is much tangled, but it is quite clear 

 that the true 'Pita bromelia' (? a local Spanish name) is furnished 

 by one or other of the Bromeliacece and not by any Agave. 

 Confusion hns arisen because the term ' Ixtle' or ' Istle' (which 

 see) is applied in some parts of Cei.tral America to one or more 

 BromeliacecB, in others to one or more of the fibre Agaveae, whiJe 

 in N.-W. Mexico it applies to the ' Lecheguilla' or 'Cabbage 'Agaves, 

 which are th-; main source of * Tampico fibre.' Chief Justice 

 Temple of the High Court at Belize (Brit. Honduras), in a paper 

 read before the Society of Arts in 1857 (Vol. V., p. 12.'-) explained 

 the distinction between the Euagave fibre and the ' Silk grass ' of 

 Honduras, which is the Bromelia Pita, or closely akin to it, and 

 contrasted samples of the Honduras Silk grass or Pita Bromelia 

 with samples of Henequen (Agave sisalana, Perrine or a near ally). 

 See also Istle, Silk grass, Brush fibre, and Pita Bromelia. 



In the Indian Agriculturist of December 12th, 1891, in an article 

 on Brush-making and Brush staples in India, it is stated, "Mexican 

 is produced in South America from the American Aloe (Agave 

 Americana) and is very largely used in brush-making, fyc." Under 

 Aloe fibre (3) the use of Agave fibre for brush-making in India, has 

 been treated.* The fibre known to the trade in England, however, is 

 not got from any of the Agavece at all, buc from a true grass (Nat. 

 Order Graminece genus Epicampes). This is called ' M exican, ' or 

 ' French ' Whisk as distinguished from the original ' Venetian 

 Whisk,' which is a Chorysopogon (also a true grass) common in 

 S. Europe, also in the Himalayas; see .Brush Fibre. 



' Broom root,' it may be noted, is again quite a different thing from 

 ' Broom corn,' a Sorghum (Nat. Ord Gramineae) which abounds 

 in parts of India, and has been carried to the U. S. A., where it is 

 locally grown and used for brush-making. Brushes are made 

 throughout Innia, usually by gypsies, from the roots or stems of 

 different grasses, in Madras called ' Broom sticks.' 



See Aloe Fibre (3), Bromelia Pita, Brush Fibre, Mexican Fibre (1) 

 Mexican Whisk, Istle (1), &c. 



Dr. Riddle of Hyderabad exhibited samples of cloth made wholly 

 or in part with the fibre of a plant described as ' Agave Cantula,' 

 also furniture brushes made from the remnants of the Aloe fibre. 



In N.-W, India it is said of Agaves (E) and (J) that the 'butt* of 

 the leaf yields a coarser fibre suitable for brush-making. Rude 

 brushes are made from the leaf of certain species in S. India, as 

 from different Agaves in W. Mexico, by simply cutting off the 

 base of the leaf from the blade, and using the 'neck* as a handle. 

 See also Aloe fibre (3), Broom root, and Reju. 



Largely obtained from Agaves of the Littaea section, not so far 

 naturalized in India. See Mexican fibre, Ixtle (3), Tampico fibre ; 

 and Cf. Aloe fibre (3), Broom root (1), Mexican fibre (1) also the 

 preceding. 



* i.e.,' at 'Mexican ' fibre. 



