562 
Philippine Journal of Science 
1919 
Therefore, in nearly all parts of the Philippines, outside of the 
abaca districts, the manufacture of cordage from the numerous 
bast fibers has developed into a common household industry. 
Lamson-Scribner * has published a list of Philippine fiber 
plants comprising about one hundred seventeen species, among 
which are included many that yield basts. He gives their scien- 
tific and local names, with brief information regarding their 
distribution, the parts utilized, and their uses. Gilmore also 
has given a list of some of the fibrous plants of the Philippines ; 
he enumerates fifty-three species, some of which give basts, and 
gives their scientific and native names, occurrence, and their 
uses. Muller * devotes a chapter to fifteen of the most com- 
monly used Philippine bast fibers and pays particular attention 
to the botanical descriptions and the distribution of the species. 
In three cases a description of the method of preparation of 
the fiber is included, but no data concerning the relative strengths 
of the basts are given. 
Mendiola ® has made a microscopical study of the ultimate 
fibers of thirteen Philippine bast-fiber plants. He also gives 
data on the tensile strength of “untwisted fibers and of cords,” 
but their interpretation is difficult and is not at all clear. It 
would not be easy for another investigator to repeat the tests. 
No information is given as to the approximate size of the cords 
studied, their weight per unit length, their elongation, or the 
manner of testing; and “breaking load” is misnamed “breaking 
strain.” 
The present investigation was primarily undertaken for the 
purpose of securing quantitative results on the mechanical prop- 
erties of bast ropes. A few short specimens of rope made of 
crude fiber already on hand, sufficient for about six tests each, 
were secured by me during a trip to the Ilocos Provinces and 
Abra in May, 1916, but most of the specimens were ordered in 
Abra and Benguet during November, 1916. In the household 
industry Filipinos mix the fibers from various species. There 
is little commercial demand for bast, so that in order to obtain 
specimens (and especially of a single species) these had to be 
’ Lamson-Scribner, F., List of Philippine Agricultural Products and 
Fiber Plants, Bull. P. I. Bur. Agr. ed. 2, 5 (1904) 36-47. 
* Gilmore, J. W., Preliminary Report on the Commercial Fibers of the 
Philippine Islands, P. 1. Bur. Agr. Fa7'iners’ Bull. 4 (1903). 
‘ Muller, T., Industrial Fiber Plants of the Philippines, Bull. P. I. Bur. 
Ed. 49 (1913) 116-123. 
’ Philip. Agr. and Forester 6 (1917) 6-38. 
