69 
THE INDUSTRIAL FIBER-PLANTS OF THE 
PHILIPPINES! 
With Plates CLVII and CLVIII? 
Although the Filipino people used the fibers of palms, screw- 
pines and other plants per! from immemorial, it is 
primarily the untiring efforts of the Bureau of Education 
in those Islands that the Filipinos were b to a fuller and 
illustrate how and in what way fibers are prepared and utilized. 
a matter of convenience the plants will be grouped under 
arious headings, the classification indicating botanical rela- 
tionship rather than present economic importance. 
PaLMs 
One of the tallest of the palms growing in the eee is 
alm 
maturity, variously estimated at from 25 to 45 years, it flowers 
and fruits once and then dies. It is interesting to note that the 
palm develops a much branching infl often 20 feet high. 
Between the ages 2 five and twelve years the plant is of the 
ee economic va! 
young unopen a ives of the shoot, while still yellow and 
without ance are apices out to dry in the sun and then 
ch 
mats. If the sitipe are to be used for better and finer grade 
articles, they are bleached more es by iiieie them 
in water Sein vinegar, or in various other These 
1 An exhibit of the chief airs ea of the Philippines will soon be 
mate for casi inspection in tl seum Building of the New York Botanical 
cae CLVIII was furnished through the courtesy of Mrs. Mabel R. Dow, 
who conducts a basketry store at 173 Madison Ave., N. Y. Cit; 
