138 



TEXTILE FIBRES. 



flat, and glaucous. This grass is said to be almost equal to Esparto as a 

 paper-making material. This grass has been utilised by the Spaniards 

 for the manufacture of cordage and ropes. The plant grows in the 

 swampy parts of North America. 



Spartina juncea is another species that abounds in the salt marshes 

 of North America. A fibre has been obtained from the leaves. 



Eedwood Tree (Sequoia sempervirens, Coniferse). The wood of this 

 tree is known as Californian Redwood. The bast tissue is used for making 

 pulp for brown paper. It is also made into a kind of paper felt for 

 non-conducting purposes. It has been used for the manufacture of 





Fig. 93. Poker plant. 



vases, hats, and railway waggon wheels. Many of the wooden models 

 required for class-teaching in elementary day and evening schools are 

 made of Redwood. 



Reed, Common (Arundo Phragmites or Phragmites communis, 

 Gramineae). The culms or stems of this plant have been used for thatch- 

 ing purposes, and in France and Italy they have been utilised as brooms 

 for dusting. The down has been recommended for paper-making. 



In the North of England the plant is plentiful on the banks of rivers 

 and meres. 



The name of Ostrich Feather grass has been given to the plant as a 

 local name. In September it is gathered for its white, flossy tufts, and 

 is used for decorative purposes in place of the Pampas grass, on account 

 of its cheapness. 



