THE PLANTAIN AND BANANA. 



469 



work can be carried on by cart, there is no lielp but to divide such 

 for long distances. The process by hand, of expressing the watery 

 parts, is also very tedious, and drying and baling require much care 

 and attention. 



Manila hemp takes its name from the chief city of the Philippines. 

 It is not hemp, however, but the fibre of a species of plantain 

 (31. textilis), which does not differ greatly from the edible banana, 

 and is probably a variety of the same species. Thus far, according 

 to Dr. Jagor, the serviceable fibre has been exclusively obtained from 

 the southern portion of the Philippines, all attempts to make its cul- 

 tivation profitable in the western and northern provinces having 

 failed. A species of banana grows in great luxuriance in Western 

 Java, but it has not been utilized as a fibre plant to any great extent. 

 Great efforts were made in Celebes to cultivate this fibre, but it has 

 been abandoned in favour of coffee, which is found to be far more 

 profitable. For domestic purposes, the plantain fibre, known to com- 

 merce also as abaca, is made use of in many tropical countries, and in 

 time will doubtless be largely supplied ; but for the present the supply 

 comes, as already stated, from the Philippines. 



There is some dispute as to the true scientific name of the species 

 of Miisa from which the Manila hemp of commerce, the ahaca of the 

 Portuguese and Spaniards, is obtained. It is now usually assigned 

 to M. textilis, Nees, but probably some may be obtained from Jf. 

 Troglodytarmn, Lin., a native of the same locality. Some ascribe^ jt 

 also to ilf. sylvestris and M. Balbisiana. There are several species 

 of Musa wild and indigenous to the Amboyna, Moluccas, and the 

 Philippines. 



The plant thrives best on the shaded forest-covered slopes of 

 volcanic mountains, such as abound in Albay and Camarines ; on 

 level ground not so well, and on marshy land not at all. The plant 

 requires, on an average, three years to produce its fibre in a proper 

 condition. For the first crop only one stalk is cut from each bunch ; 

 later on, the new suckers grow so quickly that they can be cut every 

 two months. In full growth the yield is 30 cwts. to the acre, whereas 

 from an acre of flax not more than 4 cwts. is obtained. After the plan- 

 tation is once established, the plants flourish without any care or 

 attention, the only trouble being to collect the fibre. One plant may 

 yield as much as 2 lbs. of fibre, but the average is not more than 1 lb. ; 

 on indifferent soil much less. 



Several grades of fibre are derived from different parts of the stem, 

 the edges yielding the finest. The fibre, which lies next the surface, 

 is stripped off by hand in broad bands, and then softened by being 

 drawn backwards and forwards between a broad-bladed knife and a 

 block of wood. One worker cuts up the stalks, strips off the leaves, 

 and attends to the supply ; the second, frequently a boy, spreads out 

 the strips of fibre ; the third draws them under the knife. The coarse 

 fibre is called handala ; the finer, lupis. The former is chiefly used 

 for ships' rigging, the latter is employed in weaving. The three finer 

 grades of lupis are further softened before weaving by being pounded 

 in a rice mortar. Generally the first or finest sort is worked as woof 

 with the second as warp, and the third as warp with the second as 



