EXAMINATION OF TEXTILE FIBRES. 89 
pointed ellipses, .o3-.06 X.o1-.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 
textilis, 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. 
g. Sisal Hemp.—Sisal hemp is obtained from the 
léaves of a cactus, A gave 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 p 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 
