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The history of silk, cotton, linen, wool, and other fibrous ... - Cd3wd.com

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ITS FITNESS FOR MAKING CLOTH. 207<br />

from broom-bark had been long established in Albania, Italy,<br />

<strong>and</strong> the South <strong>of</strong> France. In the latter district more especially,<br />

the entire dependence <strong>of</strong> the people on this material as a sub-<br />

stitute for flax <strong>and</strong> hemp, <strong>and</strong> the primitive mode in which this<br />

domestic manufacture was carried on in a retired <strong>and</strong> moun-<br />

tainous region, seem to indicate the high antiquity <strong>of</strong> the prac-<br />

tice. All the <strong>other</strong> authors, who mention the use <strong>of</strong> the Stipa<br />

Tenacissima, certainly give little countenance to the idea <strong>of</strong> its<br />

fitness to supply a thread for making cloth. Mr. Carter, adopt-<br />

ing the <strong>com</strong>mon opinion that the Spartum <strong>of</strong> PUny is the Stipa<br />

Tenacissima, observes, that " at present the meanest Spaniard<br />

would think clothing made from this grass very rough <strong>and</strong> un-<br />

<strong>com</strong>fortable*." We shall only quote one <strong>other</strong> authority, that<br />

<strong>of</strong> L<strong>of</strong>ling, the favorite pupil <strong>of</strong> Linnseus, who became botanist<br />

to the King <strong>of</strong> Spain, <strong>and</strong> whose Iter Hispanicum [Stockholm^<br />

1758.) relates particularly to the plants <strong>of</strong> that country. He<br />

follows Clusius in supposing the Spartum <strong>of</strong> Pliny to be the<br />

Stipa Tenacissima <strong>of</strong> Linnaeus. He mentions, that its stem is<br />

two or three feet high, with leaves so long, thin, tough, <strong>and</strong><br />

convoluted, that they are admirably adapted for the purposes<br />

to which they are applied. He adds, " Hispanis nominatur<br />

Esparto. Usus hujus frequentissimus per universam Hispaniam<br />

ad storeas ob pavimenta lateritia per hyemem : ad funes<br />

crassiores pio navibus ad que corbes et aha utensilia pro trans-<br />

port<strong>and</strong>is fr«ctibus." (p. 119.)<br />

Pliny's remark, that the Spartum, <strong>of</strong> which he speaks, could<br />

not be so^vn {c[ucb non qiieat scri), is not true <strong>of</strong> the Spanish<br />

Broom ; but this is <strong>of</strong> httle importance in the present inquiry,<br />

because it is coupled with the remark, that nothing else could<br />

be so^^^l in the same situation {iiec aliiid ibi seri ant nasci<br />

potest) ; a remark, which is totally imfounded in fact. <strong>The</strong><br />

Spanish Broom would unquestionably be propagated by its<br />

seed, which is very abundant.<br />

From these facts, the reader will have no difficulty in form-<br />

ing his decision. Notwithst<strong>and</strong>ing the respect due to the au-<br />

thority <strong>of</strong> Clusius, into which that <strong>of</strong> all the subsequent writers<br />

* Carter's Jounicy, vol. ii. p. 414, 415.

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