FIBRES. 279 



consistiDg of fibro-vascular bundles may be composed of 

 bast-cells alone, or bastrcella with parenchyma, sieve- 

 tubes and woody ducts. These component parts are so 

 characteristic of the plants to which they belong that by 

 microscopic examination the source of the fibres can be 

 determined with certainty. 



257. The vegetable fibres are used in the manufacture of 

 (1) Cordage, (2) Yarns and Woven Tissues, and (3) 

 Paper. For cordage (ropes, cables, and strings), the fibres 

 may be coarse, but they must be very strong, and not 

 suffer from the alternation of heat and moisture. They 

 must have such flexibility that they will not break when 

 bent at a sharp angle, otherwise the rope would break at a 

 knot when a sudden jerk or strain is applied. For cables, 

 besides possessing the above-mentioned qualities^ the fibres 

 must readily absorb tar. Yarns are finer than ropes or 

 strings, and their fibres should be of considerable length 

 aud fineness. They must possess the " spinning quality," 

 or glossy surface, else they would not readily slide against 

 each other and through the teeth or comb of the machinery, 

 by this means their parallelism is secured preparatory to 

 twisting ; considerable tenacity is alsp essential. The fibres 

 for paper should be thin and short, suitable for , felting 

 together when in a wet state. A curly disposition, so as to 

 catch each other and become entangled, gives tenacity to 

 the paper ; this is increased if the ends of the fibres are 

 lacerated into numerous fibrils. 



258. The most important of all fibres used in spinning 

 is Cotton. It was cultivated in Egypt five hundred 

 years before the Christian Era, but was not known to the 

 Ancient Egyptians. It has been known in India from 

 time, immemorial. It is now cultivated in nearly all 



