=Ramie.=--This fibre, also known as China grass, is the best of two or more species of nettles, prepared in the same manner as hemp fibre. It is finer and stronger than jute, and will take dye-stuffs in a superior manner. With the introduction of machinery for separating and handling the fibre, the cultivation of the ramie-plant has spread from China to India, Japan, and the United States. Fine textiles are now manufactured from it, the most important being carpets, mattings, and American "Smyrna" rugs. The last are generally sold as jute-rugs, and they are nearly as durable as woollen floor-covers. =Other Economic Fibres.=--The fibre of _cocoanut husk_ is largely employed in the manufacture of coarse matting. A part of this is obtained from tropical America, but it is a regular export of British India, where it is known as _coir_. The mid-rib of the _screw pine_ growing in the forests of tropical America furnishes the material of which "Panama" hats are made. The hats are made in various parts of Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia, and were formerly marketed in Panama. Hats made of a score of grasses and fibres are also sold as Panamas. A plant (_Phormium tenax_) having leaves somewhat like those of the iris or common flag furnishes the material of which New Zealand flax is prepared. It is used mainly in the manufacture of cordage. _Plaiting straw_, used in the manufacture of hats and bonnets, is grown extensively in northern Italy and in Belgium. For this product spring wheat is very thickly sown in a soil rich in lime. The thick sowing produces a long, slender stalk; the lime gives it whiteness and strength. Plaiting straw is also exported from China and Japan. British merchants handle most of the product. _Cuba bast_, a fibre readily bleached to whiteness, is exported to the various establishments in which women's hats are made. _Esparto grass_, also called _alfa_, grows in Spain and the northern part of Africa. It was formerly much used in the manufacture of the cheaper grades of paper, but it has been largely supplanted by wood-pulp for this purpose. The decline of the esparto grass industry led to no little unrest among some of the native tribes of northern Africa. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION What fibres were used in cloth-making in Europe before cotton was employed? What textiles are of necessity made of cotton? What is a spinning jenny?--a Jacquard loom? What are the specific differences between cotswold and merino wool? Why were most of the cloth-making mills of the United States built at first in the New England States? How is the silk-making industry encouraged in the United States? What are the chief linen manufacturing countries? FOR STUDY AND REFERENCE Obtain specimens of the cotton seed, boll, raw cotton (sea island, Peruvian, and ordinary), cotton thread, calico, gingham, domestic, canvas, and some of the fancy textiles such as organdie, lawn, etc.