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 moss”’ 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 appliedto 
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 
