Henequen
During the Porfiriato, Mexico became a lot more export orientated then they had before. Although at first glance, this may have seemed like a good thing, it didn't benefit a whole lot of the Mexicans. It benefited the foreign investors and a few elites. Some of the other major exports during this time period were coffee, sugar, rubber, vanilla, and minerals, which we all know something about, but henequen is something that I thought was worth a little research. Sisal is the most important plant in the agave family for its fibre, and then Abaca. Henequen is third.
Henequen is native to Mexico and is also sometimes referred to as Yucatan sisal.
The plant stalk of henequen is a grayish green, as can kind of be seen in the picture below. It grows up to 6 feet in its wild state, and about 3 feet when under cultivation. The leaves can get up to 4-6 inches wide.The leaves can get up to 4-6 inches wide.
Here henequen is getting prepared for rope. First the fibre is often freed by a machine by curshing the leaves between rollers and then scrapes the resulting pulp from the fibre. Afterwards, the strands are washed, dried in the sun, and brushed.
Henequen has fairly good strength, not as strong as Sisal or Abaca though. They are flexible and are resistant to microorganisms that would break them down in saltwater. It is mostly made into twine that is used in agriculture and shipping, but can also be made into rope.
Have a great weekend everyone! And go check out my "extra" blog this weekend! :)
Wow! I never knew henequen was used to so much! Also the process behind refining it is interesting and i am curious as to how many other materials are processed in the same way.
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