FIBERS USED COMMERCIALLY IN UNITED STATES. 15 



PRINCIPAL FIBERS USED COMMERCIALLY IN THE UNITED STATES, 

 AND THEIR IMPORTS. 



Of the two dozen species of commercial fibers used in the United 

 States, 20 figure in the list of imported raw products. Taking into 

 account, also, the imported manufactures from fibrous substances and 

 some of the rougher manufactures from fibers or fibrous substances 

 produced at home, the complete list of American commercial fibers 

 may be swelled to 30 species, many of these being unimportant. 



There are six bast fibers, as follows: Flax, Linum usitatissimum-, 

 China grass, fioehmeria nivea (including Rhea, B. tenacissima) ; hemp, 

 Cannabis sativa ; jute, Corchorus capsularis and C. olitoritis; Sunn 

 hemp, Crotalaria juncea, and Cuba bast, Hibiscus tiliaceus ; all except- 

 ing the last being spinning fibers, the Cuba bast finding employment 

 in millinery. There are two surface fibers: Cotton, Gossypium spp., 

 and Raffia, Raphia ruffia. The list of structural fibers numbers 15, rep- 

 resenting Agaves, palms, and grasses, as follows: Sisal hemp, Agave 

 rigida (varieties); Manila hemp, Musa textilis; Mauritius, Furcrcva 

 gigantea, and New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax, cordage fibers; Tain- 

 pico, or Istle, Agave lieteracantha ; Bahia piassaba, Attalea funifera; 

 Para piassaba, Leopoldinia piassaba; Mexican whisk, or Broom root, 

 Epicampes macroura, and Cabbage palmetto, Sabal palmetto, brush 

 fibers; Crin vegetal, Chamcvrops humilis ; Spanish moss, Tillandsia 

 usneoides; Saw palmetto, Serenoa serrulata; Cocoanut fiber, Cocos 

 nucifera, upholstery and matting fibers; Esparto grass, Stipa tenacis- 

 sima, for paper manufacture; and Vegetable sponge, Luffa cegyptica, 

 as substitute for bath sponges. The two species of palmetto and the 

 Spanish moss for vegetable hair are wholly produced in this country. 



As to the sources of supply of these fibers, flax is imported chiefly 

 from Belgium, Russia, Holland, Italy, the United Kingdom of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, and from Canada. China grass or ramie comes 

 from China (in very small quantities). Hemp is derived from Russia, 

 France, Belgium, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, 

 and British East Indies (the latter in trifling quantity); jute from 

 India, and Cuba bast from the West Indies. The imports of cotton 

 are chiefly produced in Egypt and Peru, though small quantities 

 may be derived from other countries. Raffia, used as agricultural tie 

 bands, comes from Africa. 



The sisal hemp supply is produced in Yucatan, small quantities being 

 produced in Cuba and the Bahamas. Manila hemp is a product of the 

 Philippine Islands, cebu hemp being a trade variety. Mauritius or aloe 

 fiber comes from Africa, and the source of supply of New Zealand flax 

 is indicated by its name. Tampico, or Istle, is a Mexican product, and 

 the Bahia and Para piassabas, or " bass " fibers, are collected from Bra- 

 zilian palms. There are other species of bass (see Bass in catalogue) 

 derived from African palms, which formerly never came to the United 



