THE FIBER PRODUCTS OF THE FARM 161 



Next in importance is the making of cordage. Ropes and 

 the coarser twines consume the longest and strongest of the 

 fiber products, such as manila and sisal; and silk fibers are 

 used to make the finest fishing-lines. 



Next in importance are, probably, upholstering and 

 stuffing fibers. Fibers for this use are such as do not lend 

 themselves readily to the spinning process: horsehair, 

 "Spanish mess" fiber, kapok, "tow" (separated in the hack- 

 ling of flag from the better fiber) , etc. The long, silky cotton 

 of our common milkweeds, often used for filling fancy pillows, 

 is an excellent example. Its fiber is too smooth and straight 

 and brittle for spinning, but its lightness and elasticity make 

 it excellent for filling pillows. 



Another extensive use for fibers is found in the binding of 

 plastering and mortar. Of old, straw was used in the making 

 of huge bricks, to bind the clay and preserve their form while 

 drying. On many cabins in the South today, there are 

 stick-chimneys plastered with clay that is held together 

 by "Spanish moss" fiber. The moss is fermented in heaps to 

 lay bare the fiber, which is then washed clean and chopped in 

 short lengths and kneaded into the clay before being applied to 

 the inner walls of the chimney. The moss fiber helps to hold 

 the clay in place when it is newly applied, and prevents its 

 cracking later. For like reasons, cow-hair (which is too short 

 and smooth for spinning) is commonly mixed with the 

 "binding" coat of plaster that is first applied to the walls of 

 our houses. The hair is cleansed of grease and evenly mixed 

 with the mortar in such quantity that when the latter is 

 lifted on a trowel, some of it will hang over the edges without 

 falling off. Wood fiber is substituted for hair in some modern 

 ready-mixed plasters. Short, straight and strong fibers, to 

 which plaster will adhere closely, are demanded for this use. 



It is interesting to note how the birds have anticipated us 

 in all these uses of fibers. The oriole uses the longest fibers 



