Friday, November 20, 2015

Flax

Botanical name: Linum usitatissimum
Family: Linaceae
Parts used: Fibres are formed in the pricycle which are aggregates of many long pointed cells with very thick cellulose walls.

Economic importance

1. Flax is superior to cotton in quality and yields a finer fabric suck as cambrics, damasks and sheetings, laces for apparel and household furnishing and linen threads. Garments made from flax ar e among the coolest of all fabrics as they conduct heat from body much more rapidly than cotton.

2. Coarser grades are used for canvas, towelling, bagging and industrial sewing threads (for book binding threads, in making fishing lines and nets and for sewing shoes).

3. Coarse fibres are used in the manufacture of cigarette paper, the fines writing paper and insulating material.

4. Short and tangled fibres called 'Tow ' is used n coarser and cheaper fabric and for stuffing purposes.


5. Flax is also grown for its seed, which is used in medicine and as the source of linseed oil.

Coir

Botanical name: Cocos nucifera
Family: Palmae
Parts used: Coarse rough short fibre is obtained from husk of fruit of coconut (mesocarp)

Economic Importance

1. Coir is used for making roped which are used in agriculture, transportation, shipping and general hauling of different products.

2. Making of mats and mattings.

3. Stuffing of rail and bus seats, cushions and allied products.

4. Coir is used for brushes and door mats.


5. The coir fibre is valued for its lightness, elasticity, high resistance to mechanical wear and dampness (particularly in sea water) and its sound insulating quality.

Jute

Botanical name: Corchorus cpsularis
Family: Tilliaceae
Parts used: Jute fibre is produced from secondary phloem (bast)

Economic Importance

1. Jute is used mainly for rough weaving and for making gunny, wool and potato sacs and the covers of cotton bales.

2. The fibre is used for making twine, carpets, curtains and coarse cloth.

3. Short fibres are used to some extent in paper making.

4. Jute fibres are least expensive but most important in bast fibres. These fibres are not very strong and deteriorate rapidly when wet but are valued for being cheap and have easy spinning qualities.

5. Oil from the jute seed is used for cooking purposes and in the manufacture of soaps.


6. Young shoots and leavers are eaten as food in Egypt, Greece and Sudan.

Cotton

Botanical name: Gossypium species
Family: Malvaceae
Parts used: Surface hair of cotton seed called lint

Economic Importance

1. Cotton is greatly used in textile industry due to two qualities i.e. it is soft and supple. It is used alone or mixed with other fibres to make a wide range of clothings.

2. Many cellulose  industries use pure cellulose (absorbent cotton) as basic raw material.

3. It is used in the manufacture of rubber tyre fabrics, carpeting and cordage, machinery belts due to resistance to permanent change in its length and width.

4. It resists abrasion or friction with other materials and has a good weaving quality and launderability.

5. Due to high tensile strength, it can withstand any type of tearing or breaking when under stress.

6. Unspun cotton is used for stuffing purpose.

7. Cotton seed oil is an important semi-drying oil and is used for cooking purpose and soap making.

8. The seed cake left after the extraction of oil is used by cattle or is used as stock feed.

9. Seed cake is also an important nitrogen fertilizer.

10 The fuzz or tinters are used in stuffing pads, pillows, cushions and mattresses. They also yield cellulose absorbent cotton and low grade yarn.

11. the low grade yarn is used to manufacture twine, rope and carpets etc.

12. The stalks of cotton plant are used as fuel.

13. The fibre obtained from stalk is also used in paper industry.

14. The cotton seed cake hull is a very good stock feed. It is also a good fertilizer.

15. Leaves of cotton plant are used as fodder.

16. From the bark of the roots of cotton plant ergot like drugs are extracted.

17. Cotton can be chemically modified for use in different forms.

18. Cotton is a major cash crop.

19. Cotton fibre is very tensile so its application in the manufacture of currency paper is worldwide.

Hemlock

Botanical name: Tsuga canadensis
Family: Pinadeae
Parts used: Wood

Economic Importance

1. It is used for building rafters, sheathings laths and other types of rough construction.

2. Hemlock wood is also used to prepare boxed and planks.

3. The wood is coarse grained but is very strong, tough, stiff and easily worked.

4. The bark of this timber tree is used as a tanning material.


5. This timber tree is the most important source of pulp world.

Deodar (Cedar)

Deodar (Cedar)

Botanical name: Cedrus deodara
Family: Pinaceae
Parts used: Wood

Economic Importance

1. Deodar is the most important and strongest of Indian soft woods.

2. The timber is very durable and is rarely attacked by white ants and fungi.

3. Deodar wood is straight grained, having a moderately fine and uniform texture.

4. The deodar is an easy wood to season and it can be sawn easily and worked to a smooth finish.

5. Primary uses of deodar is for railway sleepers.

6. It is used for beams, posts, doors and window frames, bridge construction, carriage and wagon building.

7. Deodar is also used for furniture, carging, packing cases, brush backs etc.

8. This wood is not good for interior fittings as the oil discolours the finishing.

9. The wood is not suitable for veneers because of presence of knots.

10. This timber is of outstanding merit of structural and building works.


11. The timber can be easily seasoned in air or klin.

Sal

Botanical name: Shorea robusta
Family: Dipterocarpaceae
Parts used: Wood (Secondary xylem)

Economic Importance:

1. The heartwood of sal is very hard, heavy and extremely tough, being one of the most durable timbers.

2. Wood is mainly suitable for sleepers.

3. This wood is not seasoned well and therefore , splits on further drying.

4. It can easily take moisture from environment and so takes very long time.

5. It is extensively used for making doors, windows and beams.

6. It is also used for cart making.

7. It is also used for making boats in India (Assam).

8. Sal wood has a long life in exposed situations and even under water.


9. Sal tree gives out an oleoresin called Bengal dammar on tapping which is used in the making of varnish.