PLANT INDUSTRIES 3138 
great strength. The banana leaf and stem and the pineapple 
leaf produce some of our most highly valued fibers for cordage. 
These and many other fibers may be woven into mats or cloth, 
and some of the finest dress goods and fancy articles are made 
from pineapple fiber (Anessa sativa). Doubtless the long 
list of plants known to produce valuable cordage fibers and 
materials for weaving might be added to materially by a 
thorough study of our wild plants. 
The most important fiber plant is cotton (several species of 
Gossypium). Some of its varieties are grown in almost every 
tropical and sub-tropical country, and as a source of income 
it is to our southern states what corn is to the central states, 
and wheat to the northwest. Within the seed pod of cotton 
the seeds are surrounded by long white fibers which are the 
most valuable portion of the plant. Other parts of the plant 
have great value, however, since the seed yields oil and meal 
and the stem of the plant yields fiber and cellulose which is 
manufactured into a long list of commercial products. As an 
agricultural plant cotton presents its own set of problems re- 
lated to soil, moisture, cultivation, and diseases, and some of 
these problems are just beginning to be solved. It is doubt- 
ful if any other staple crop has such great possibilities of 
immediate increase through scientific study of its growth 
and productivity. 
In temperate regions the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa), flax 
(Linum usitatissimum), and jute (Corchorus capsularis) are 
much grown for their fibers. In tropical countries manila 
hemp is made from fibers in the leaves and stems of one of 
the bananas (Musa tertilis). Sisal is made from the leaves of 
a century plant (Agave rigida). Two varieties of Agave rigida 
are cultivated for this use, and several other varieties are used 
locally wherever they grow wild. The list of plants produc- 
ing valuable fibers is a long one, and those given above are 
merely the leading ones. 
1‘ The Cotton Plant,’’ Bulletin 9, Vol. 27, N.C. Agr. Exp. Sta., 1906; ‘tA 
Profitable Cotton Farm,”’ Farmers’ Bulletin 3864, U.S. Dept. Agr., 1909. 
