CHAPTER VII. 
THE EXAMINATION OF TEXTILE FIBRES. 
1. The Kinds of Textile Fibres——The word fibre is 
derived from the Latin fibra, and signifies ‘a thread 
or filament.” The most primitive application of natural 
fibrous materials to textile purposes is probably in the 
use of grasses and osiers for weaving. At a very early 
period, however, primitive man learned to manipulate 
fibres of a closer texture in the manufacture of coarse 
cloth. The long, fine hairs of plants and animals among 
many races must early have attracted attention; thus 
‘the application of cotton and wool dates back from be- 
yond recorded history. In Egypt the use of the fibrous 
bast-layer from the stem of the flax-plant appears to have 
antedated even that of cotton. According to. Chinese 
tradition, the application of the secretion of the silkworm 
to textile purposes was made by the first empress of the 
nation. To-day, four classes of fibres—cotton, the prin- 
cipal vegetable hair; flax, hemp, jute, ramie, and sisal, 
all typical bast-fibres; wool and a few less well known 
animal hairs; and silk—still make up the textiles of 
most importance. The leaves of certain plants furnish 
filaments essentially similar to the bast-fibres mentioned 
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