BRUSH AND MAT MATERIALS. 143 



of plain cloth. These are used with a coating or pad of horse-hair, or 

 an imitation horse-hair yarn with the top surface of wool. These fabrics 

 have come into use as cane enamelled socks for the prevention of 

 rheumatism, and for comfortable and hygienic wear. 



Bahia Piassava (Attalea funifera, Palmacea3). This palm tree grows 

 to a height of 30 to 40 feet in the forests of Brazil. The bases of the 

 young leaves are encircled by a fimbriate arrangement of chocolate- 

 coloured appendages during vernation. These structures are the bristle- 

 like fibres of commerce. They are removed by the natives, who use a 

 small axe for the purpose. 



The fibres undergo a rough process of heckling, straightening, and 

 cleaning, and are made into bundles weighing 80 to 100 Ibs. They are 

 then ready for the market. The fibres are much in demand for brush- 

 making. A good export trade is done in them. They are very much 

 used in the large, revolving street brooms that are now employed so 

 commonly by the sanitary departments of Corporations in the large cities 

 and towns, and by Urban District and County Councils. The setose 

 fibres, being of a stiff nature, are well adapted for getting the sludge and 

 dirt off the roadways, pavements, and channels in public thoroughfares. 



Fig. 94 shows the bristle fibres of Attalea funif era when adapted for 

 roadway brush purposes. 



The rigidity of the bristles, the uniformity of the individual fibres, and 

 the peculiar dark brown colour are remarkable features of these bristle 

 fibres. 



The discovery of the Bahia bristle fibres was due to a very singular 

 circumstance, which is related by Dr. Yeats in his Natural History of 

 Commerce as follows : " To protect' the hull of his vessel from the rough 

 walls of a quay in a Brazilian port, the captain had caused a sort of round 

 fender to be made of weeds that grew on the river banks. The same 

 fender was used for a similar purpose on his arrival in the docks of the 

 Mersey, and at length left on the shore. A brushmaker looked at it, and 

 begged it, worked it up, and soon wanted more of it ; it was the Piassava 

 now used for coarse stable brushes and street-sweeping brooms." 



The staples or qualities of Bahia piassava are classed under several 

 marketable headings, and were quoted by Messrs. Ide & Christie on 

 19th April 1899 as follows : 



Good to prime, 37s. to 39s. Medium, 30s. to 34s. Common, 25s. 

 to 28s. Other remarks : " Bahia continues quiet. Fair demand for the 

 better qualities." 



The elasticity of Bahia fibres is well marked, and a test made of the 

 pulling strains gave the following results in pounds: 17, 15, 7 in one 

 test; and in a second test, 19 '5, 5, 3 Ibs. 



