FIBRE. 1 49 



usually perished. We have thus in this grass an extremely valuable 

 paper-making material, hut unfortunately our few paper mills are 

 not yet capable of turning out the finer kinds of paper, and are 

 situated too far away from the bhabar-producing tracts for the raw 

 material to be landed at them at remunerative rates. For the pre- 

 sent, therefore, bhabar is used only for making cheap ropes. Doing 

 up the grass into well pressed bales will, no doubt, reduce very ap- 

 preciably cost of carriage. 



The munj grows in abundance in all moist low-lying places, 

 especially those which are occasionally flooded every year. Its 

 fibre, which is obtained from the long sheaths closely enveloping 

 the stalk, is used both for rope-making and for weaving into very 

 durable and handsome ornamental carpet-like mats which white ants 

 will seldom touch. 



Grasses required for fibre should be cut only when perfectly 

 ripe and as soon as they are ripe ; otherwise the nightly dews which 

 then prevail, followed by the hot morning sun, would produce in- 

 cipient decomposition and weaken or destroy the fibre. Before 

 export, the cut grass should be cleaned of all decayed and useless 

 portions. It is a fact proved by experience that annual cutting not 

 only keeps up the quality of the grass, but also increases the yield. 

 If cutting is neglected even for one year, the production falls oflf in 

 an astonishing manner. The annual burning of the grass also 

 improves its quality, by rendering it finer and more fibrous ; but it 

 is evident that the forest on the dry hill-sides affected by the bha- 

 bhar grass cannot be burnt with impunity. 



Amongst the herbaceous Tiliacece the most important fibre-pro- 

 ducing species belong to the genus Corclwrus, two of which, under 

 cultivation, furnish the jute of commerce. All the wild species 

 yield valuable fibre, but their utilization has hitherto been only 

 local. Like the fibres of the mallow family next mentioned, the 

 fibres are all textile and also make good cordage and paper. They 

 deserve very much more attention than they have hitherto received. 



In the mallow family, the herbaceous fibre-yielding species 

 belong to the genus Hibiscus, and to them may be added the 

 Malachra capitata. 



The fibres of the plants belonging to both the above-mentioned 

 families are generally anastomosed, but they are joined together 

 so lightly as to be easily separated by a short period of maceration 

 in water. Plants collected before flowering occurs, yield a finer 

 and more silky fibre than they do later on ; but the strongest fibre 

 is obtained when they are in fruit. The fibre must be extracted 

 at once, otherwise fermentation sets in and deterioration ensues. 



