In the East Indies it has been used for the manufacture of 

 paper. Spon says that a slip of sized paper weighing 39 grains 

 made from this paper sustained 75 grs. against bank of England, 

 note pulp 47 pounds. Mr. C. R. Dodge says: "I have found 

 Urena lobata" growing in many parts of Florida, on east and 

 west coasts, but I have never seen its slender stalks over three 

 feet in height. It was several times pointed out to me as "Ram- 

 mie" by people who had never seen the true Rammie growing. 

 A common name which attaches to the plant in Florida is "Geasar 

 Weed." 



SIDA FIBER. 



Sida is another genius of malvacia plants found in both 

 hemispheres, their bast being rich in fiber. A beautiful sample, 

 Sida Retusa, known as Queensland Hemp, was received from 

 Queensland in 1876, accompanied by another genus from Vic- 

 toria, labeled "Sida Rhombifolia." The first was prepared by 

 Dr. Guilfoyle, who states the plant has established itself in Mel- 

 bourne, and is of very quick growth, seeding freely. He regards 

 the fiber as suitable for fine paper and the manufacture of 

 cordage. 



The samples, Rombifolia is very white and lustrous, the 

 filaments fine and even and the report accompanying it stated: 

 "The bark yields an abundance of very delicate flax-like fiber 

 which might advantageously be used for many purposes. The 

 fiber is similar to Jute, but intrinsically so superior that it is 

 worth frijm five dollars to six dollars per ton more and the sample 

 is consequently placed beside that fiber in order to attract the 

 attention it deserves. 



COTTON STALK FIBER ("Gosspyium Haerbaceum" 



The cotton stalk is also one of the malvacia and it may not 

 De known that it possesses a fiber of fine quality. In the latter 

 of transmittal a strong case is made out in its favor, but it has 

 two handicaps, the first, dependant on its adaptation to the hot 

 climate renders it unsuited to our favored Puget Sound region, 

 and the use of its chief product — cotton — renders its culture inimi- 

 cal to the production of the finer grades of fiber. Why? Be- 

 cause the advanced stage of maturity created in using its chief 

 product (cotton and oil) reduces the quality for spinni'ig pur- 

 poses, so let it pass. 



FOREIGN VARIETIES OF HIBISCUS. 



So far we have been dealing with the Mallows, a large number 

 of which come under the names of Hibiscus or hemp-like plants 

 while possessing many commercially valuable properties, but 

 their climatic habit renders them unfitted to our requirements. 

 There are, however, of other bast fibers, quite a number available 

 species, will pass on to another class known as the Abutilon 

 species, many of which are indiginous in the State of Washing- 

 \on and well adapted to our requirements. 



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