PLANT INDUSTRIES 313 



great strength. The banana leaf and stem and the pineapple 

 leaf produce some of our most highly valued fibers for cordage. 

 These and many other fibers may be woven into mats or cloth, 

 and some of the finest dress goods and fancy articles are made 

 from pineapple fiber (Ananassa sativa). Doubtless the long 

 list of plants known to produce valuable cordage fibers and 

 materials for weaving might be added to materially by a 

 thorough study of our wild plants. 



The most important fiber plant is cotton (several species of 

 Grossypiwri). 1 Some of its varieties are grown in almost every 

 tropical and sub-tropical country, and as a source of income 

 it is to our southern states what corn is to the central states, 

 and wheat to the northwest. Within the seed pod of cotton 

 the seeds are surrounded by long white fibers which are the 

 most valuable portion of the plant. Other parts of the plant 

 have great value, however, since the seed yields oil and meal 

 and the stem of the plant yields fiber and cellulose which is 

 manufactured into a long list of commercial products. As an 

 agricultural plant cotton presents its own set of problems re- 

 lated to soil, moisture, cultivation, and diseases, and some of 

 these problems are just beginning to be solved. It is doubt- 

 ful if any other staple crop has such great possibilities of 

 immediate increase through scientific study of its growth 

 and productivity. 



In temperate regions the hemp plant (Cannabis mtiva), flax 

 (Linum usitatissimum), and jute (Cor chorus capsularis*) are 

 much grown for their fibers. In tropical countries manila 

 hemp is made from fibers in the leaves and stems of one of 

 the bananas (Musa textilis). Sisal is made from the leaves of 

 a century plant (Agave rigida). Two varieties of Agave rigida 

 are cultivated for this use, and several other varieties are used 

 locally wherever they grow wild. The list of plants produc- 

 ing valuable fibers is a long one, and those given above are 

 merely the leading ones. 



1 ff The Cotton Plant," Bulletin 9, Vol. 27, N.C. Agr. Exp. Sta., 1906 ; " A 

 Profitable Cotton Farm," Farmers' Bulletin 364, U.S. Dept. Agr., 1909. 



