188 



THE COCO-NUT 



CHAP. 



the product is put up according to grades. The better 

 part of it is put up in small packages of about 7 

 kilogrammes, and is known as bristle fibre ; the bristle 

 fibre in turn may be in several grades according to 

 length and other qualities. From the fibre which is not 

 fit for bristle fibre, chiefly, that is, from the residue from 

 the hand combing, the dust is beaten and shaken out, 

 and the resulting irregular fibre is put up in bales and 

 goes on to the market as the better quality of mattress 

 fibre. A poorer quality, containing the fibres made 

 from the waste of the mechanical combing, or these 

 mixed with inferior waste from the hand combing as 

 well, is known as baled fibre, and marketed in that 

 form. Still another factory product, which is made by 

 twisting into cord the fibre which is a waste product 

 from the sorting of the bristle fibre, is known as coir 

 yarn. 



In this factory work there is a man in charge of 

 each of the mechanical combs, and these men have the 

 help of boys in keeping the pieces of husk constantly 

 applied to the cylinders. This work is paid by the 

 task. For four combings, the factory price in Ceylon 

 is PlO'OO a cwt. The washing and drying are done 

 by women, who receive about 8 centavos a cwt. of 

 coir. A good day's work is the washing and cleaning 

 of 200-250 kilogrammes of fibre, in which case the wage 

 is about one peseta. The workers around the establish- 

 ment are paid in general not more than 30 centavos 

 a day. A coir industry in places where labour is better 

 paid must work at a considerable industrial disadvantage 

 as compared with a similar establishment in Ceylon. 

 With regard to the yield, a thousand husks, that is, the 

 husk of a thousand nuts, will yield 68 to 79 kilogrammes 

 of coir if the manufacture is by hand, or about 89 

 kilogrammes of coir in well regulated factories ; and this 

 89 kilogrammes is made up of 6675 of bristle, and 22*25 

 kilogrammes of mattress fibre. Where the manufacture 

 of coir is performed on the plantation, or in connection 

 with oil or copra making, the price of the husks does not 



