628 Philippine Journal of Science 
1919 
Table XXXIL- — Physical tests of ro'pe made from the 
bast of Ficus 
packyphylla — ^Continued. 
Ultimate tensile strength (wet) : 
Mean in kilograms 
176 
Maximum in kilograms 
209 
Minimum in kilograms 
132 
Mean in pounds 
388 
Maximum in pounds 
460 
Minimum in pounds 
290 
Mean ultimate tensile strength per unit area (dry) : 
Kilograms per square centimeter 
464 
Pounds per square inch 
6,600 
Mean ultimate tensile strength per unit area (wet) : 
Kilograms per square centimeter 
544 
Pounds per square inch 
7,760 
Mean elongation at instant of rupture: 
Dry (per cent) 
12 
Wet (per cent) 
17 
Mean weight per unit length: 
Grams per meter 
30.3 
Pounds per foot 
0.0204 
Average breaking length: 
Meters 
4,930 
Feet 
16,200 
Moisture (per cent) 
9.09 
FiCUS PALAWANENSIS Merr. Balete. 
Local names: Agamid, agamit (Abra, Itneg) ; balete (Cavite, Laguna, 
Lanao, Palawan, Tayabas) ; tibig (Misamis). 
A large strangling fig with coriaceous, oblong, glabrous, acu- 
minate leaves and axillary ellipsoid fruits; found throughout 
the Philippines at low altitudes. 
Like the other Ficus basts tested, the strips of Ficus palawa- 
nensis also are characterized by numerous fibrils that cover the 
surface. The bast strips are colored bittersweet pink; they 
average 0.41 millimeter thick, 3 millimeters wide, and 821 milli- 
meters long. The strands average eight strips thick. 
Of all the Ficus basts tested. Ficus palaivanensis is the 
strongest, and it is one of the highest in tensile strength and 
breaking length. An examination of Table XLII will show that 
it is stronger than machine-laid rope made of maguey Govern- 
ment grade Cebu No. 2, and is nearly twice as strong as hand-laid 
maguey rope made of unclassified fiber extracted by the salt-water 
retting process in Ilocos Sur. In fact. Ficus palawanensis bast 
rope compares very favorably in strength with machine-made 
“G” grade abaca rope, and in one case exceeds the mean tensile 
