Fibres. 



272 



[May 1907. 



comparison, the corresponding values given by other specimens of Indian Agave 

 and Furcraea fibres previously examined in the Department : — 



Samples from the Agri-Horticultural 

 Show. 



Samples previously 

 received. 





Agave Vera Cruz 



from 

 CbicUmagular. 



Agave Vera Cruz 

 from 

 Madras. 



Sisal Hemp 

 from 

 Madras. 



Sisal Hemp 



from 

 Bangalore. 



Agave Wiglitii 

 from 

 Madras. 



Mauritius Hemp 

 from 

 Bangalore. 



Agave species 



rom India 

 (No. 16,260). 



Sisal Hemp 

 from India 

 (No. 8,327). 



Furcraea 

 Gigantea 

 from India 

























91 



9-1 



9-3 



9-3 



9-9 



9-3 



9'7 



91 



9-8 



A till nrn* ponf 



xiPll , \Jx5L 1/» ... 



2-5 



3-4 



1-5 



1-2 



2'6 



2-1 



1-5 



0-8 





r/ _ T T v rl fnlvQl 





















loss per cent,... 



19-8 



19-5 



13 6 



114 



16 3 



17 1 



9-8 



8-6 



123 



7>-TT vH rnlv<?i *3 





















loss per cent.... 



21-1 



21-6 



16-9 



16-0 



18-7 



23'9 



15-7 



15-1 



14-5 



Acid purification 





















loss per cent.... 



5*7 



4-5 



2-9 



21 



2 '9 



6-1 



24 



10 



1-7 



Mercerisation, 





















loss per cent.... 



122 



127 



10*8 



8-4 



109 



12-0 



7-1 



123 



11-4 



Nitration, gain 





















per cent. 



391 



38-0 



33-1 



41-2 



14'2 



28-0 



34-0 



37-5 



40-0 



Cellulose, per 





















cent. 



71-4 



72-5 



75-7 



77-6 



75-2 



70*3 



79'6 



81-4 



77-7 



Experiments have been made with the object of ascertaining the compara- 

 tive strength of these fibres. For this purpose the breaking strain of single fibres 

 (or filaments) of the material was determined, a large number of tests being made 

 with each sample of fibre. A great variation was found in the strength of the 

 individual fibres (or filaments) of any particular sample corresponding more or 

 less with the variation in their diameter. On taking the average of the results 

 in each case, the comparative strength of the samples was found to be as follows, 

 the greatest strength observed, viz., that of sample No, 4 being represented 

 as 100:- 



o„ i Comparative 

 Sample. Strength. 



Sisal Hemp ... ... ... ... 100 



No. 4. 

 No. 3. 

 No. 0. 

 No. 2. 

 No. 5. 

 No. 1. 



Mauritius hemp ... 

 Agave Vera-Cruz fibre 

 ,, Wiglitii fibre 

 Vera-Cruz fibre 



87-5 

 81 

 02 7 

 57-9 

 55 3 



Conclusions. 



The results of this investigation show that the fibres, although of fair, 

 marketable quality, could be considerably improved by the exercise of greate 1 ' 

 care in their preparation. 



It was, unfortunately, impossible to ascertain the influence of the elevation 

 at which the plants were grown on the strength and quality of the fibre produced, 

 since the variation in the degree to which the samples had been cleaned was so 

 considerable as to obscure the inherent quality of the actual fibre substance. In 

 this connection it is interesting to notice that the commercial experts stated that 

 the comparative market values of the various fibres of this class are Very uncertain, 

 as most of them are very imperfectly cleaned, and that consequently the value is 

 influenced to an unusual extent by the condition of the fibre,— Bulletin of the 

 imperial Institute, IV, No, 1. 



