A NEW FIBRE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume L, Issue 5531, 13 November 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

A NEW FIBRE.

(From the Colonies and India),

Small quantities of a new variety of fibre are received in England from time to time for which a great demand is likely to arise if its production on a sufficiently large scale can be relied upon. It is the produce of a variety of aloe said to be peculiar to Mauritius, or which at any rate grows in abundance in that island, and from the leaves of which long fibrous threads of peculiar tenacity and pliability are extracted. The leaves are simply crushed, and do not require to undergo the complicated processes necessary for preparing hemp or flax, so that the cost of labour is greatly reduced. Threads and ropes formed of these fibres are said to be superior to any known material of similar kind, and a line made from them will excel in toughness an iron wire of the same size. At the same time the suppleness is such as to obviate all the disadvantages attending the use of stiff metal wire. The parcels of the new fibre which have reached England have been well reported on by competent judges and the principal difficulty in the way of its extended use is’ the limited supply. With careful cultivation it is probable that the growth of the aloe might be encouraged, and its introduction into this Colony, the soil and climate of which are suitable for its production, would enlarge its 1 at present limited area of growth. The aloe will grow in temperate as well as in hot climates, and is adapted for a dry soil. Many others of our Colonies besides might attempt its cultivation. One of the chief properties of the material is that it is believed to be free from the liability to rot which characterises all other fibres when exposed to the action of salt water. If this should prove to be the case it would bo invaluable for the manufacture of ships’ rigging and for similar purposes. New Zealand might be largely benefited by the introduction of the aloe and the home production of so useful an article of commerce os this fibre would appear to be.