158 TEXTILE FIBRES. 



Millet, Indian (Sorghum, sp. t Gramineee). Fig. 105 shows a contracted 

 arrangement of panicles of the Indian Millet in fruit. The fruits are 

 much in demand as food for cage-birds. When they have been removed, 

 the panicled portion of the stem, known to botanists as the inflorescence, 

 is suitable for whisk purposes. The stem is stout and rigid, and gives 

 the fruit of millet a conspicuous appearance when mature. The panicle' 

 has a more spreading habit than that of the Italian whisk (Sorghum). 



Fig. 105. Indian Millet. 



Palma Fibre or Jute. These fibres are about one to two feet in 

 length, but fine, solid, and thread-like, slightly flattened, and of a dull 

 yellow or white colour. 



Fig. 106 is an example of Palma fibres. They bear some resemblance 

 to Istle fibres, but tend to cohere more closely together. They are 

 wanting in the elasticity and liveliness which are generally the character- 

 istic features of Istle. They have been used as substitutes for certain 

 brush fibres. They are exported from Mexico, and from their general 



