EX/iMINATION OF TEXTILE FIBRES. 89 



pointed ellipses, .03-.06X.01-.02 mm., with a wide canal 

 of the same shape as the cell. Under the microscope, 

 therefore, as one sees the two views, ramie appears like a 

 mixture of a broad fibre with a broad canal and a narrow 

 fibre with a narrow canal. 



8. Manila Hemp. — Bast-fibres are not confined to the 

 stems of plants, but are continued upward in the fibro- 

 vascular bundles which form the veins of the leaves. 

 In many plants these leaf-fibres are of such a character 

 as to be valuable for textile purposes, notably in the case 

 of Manila hemp and Sisal hemp. 



Manila hemp is obtained from the leaves of Musa 

 iextilis, a palm native to the Philippine Islands and 

 North Borneo. The fibre is extracted by hand, and, 

 though more brittle than true hemp, is extensively used 

 for marine cordage. The cells are distinguished from 

 those of Cannabis by their lesser length (about 6 mm.) 

 and by their smoothness, the knots, though present, being 

 much less marked than in the hemp-fibres. The canal 

 is wide and easily discerned. 



9. Sisal Hemp. — Sisal hemp is obtained from the 

 leaves of a cactus, Agave rigida, extensively cultivated in 

 Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. It is a 

 long coarse white fibre used for cordage and the manu- 

 facture of rough sackcloth, hammocks, etc. 



The cells are distinguished from all other bast-fibres 

 by their smoothness and regularity. They are 1.5-4 mm. 

 long and 20-32 n wide, approximately cylindrical, with a 

 wide and well-marked canal, and tapering to a fine point 

 at the end. As in other cases, comparison with material 



