CHAPTER LI. 



Fibre-crops continued. 

 (6) AIX>E FIBRES. 



"\ CARIOUS plants of the natural order Liliaceae and its 

 allied order Amaryllidaceae, yield leaves rich in very 

 strong and beautiful fibres. To the former belong Yuccas and 

 Sansivieras and to the latter agaves, all being popularly 

 classed as aloes. 



477. Yuccas. The fibre of yucca gloriosa or Adams 

 needle^ which we have at Sibpore, is fine, silky and strong, 

 but the length is so short that this plant cannot compete 

 with Sansivieras, agaves, or pineapple plants. The fibre is 

 not unlike pineapple fibre, but the average length is less 

 than 2 ft. 



478. Sansivieras. These produce the celebrated bow- 

 string hemp. This fibre being silky white, is superior to agave 

 fibre, but the length is seldom over 3 ft., while agaves often 

 reach 6 to 7 ft. in length. The wild Sansiviera (S. Zeylanica) 

 of Faridpur and other districts of Bengal (called Chhunch* 

 miikhi or moorva} produces as good fibre as S. Cylindrica, 

 or S. Guineensis. Of all the Sansivieras, the S. Trifasciata, 

 which is to be commonly seen in Calcutta gardens, grows best, 

 and is on the whole, the best variety to choose. The length 

 which the leaves attain is generally 3 to 4 ft., while the length 

 of the other kinds is generally under 3 ft. The S. Trifasciata 

 does not require so much watering or manuring as the other 

 Sansivieras do. The strength of the Sansiviera fibre com* 

 pared to some other fibres can be judged from the following 

 figures : 



weight borne 



Line made of cocoa-nut fibre (coir) .. 224 Ibs. 



of Hibiscus cannabinus fibre .,, 290 }i 



