From the Old Stone Age, man knew the use of fibres for making various articles of daily life. Samples of flax found in the lake dwellings of Switzerland, linen from Egyptian tombs, and Cotton fibre from Mohenjo-Daro attest to this.

   Fibres go into the making of cloth, ropes, cords, brushes and mats. Coconut, palmyra, jute, cotton, pineapple, agave are some of the plants that yield fibre.

     'Jute' is the best of the coarser bast fibres and one of the most important commercial fibre crops of the world, particularly in India. The fibre is obtained from the stems (secondary phloem) of the genus chorchorus, which belongs to the family 'Tiliaceae'. The plant is a slender annual. It is tall and attains a height of 10'. It bears alternate simple leaves. The jute fibres are used for bags; the poorer fabrics are used in the making of gunny bags while better ones are used for the manufacture of twine upholstery rugs, carpets etc.

    The most important commercial fibre is extracted from this plant which is called as 'Jute'. This plant belongs to the family 'Tiliaceae'. In the Flora of British India, it is stated that this species is indigenous in many parts of India and is generally distributed by cultivation in all tropical countries. It grows and cannot thrive under water logged conditions. The plant is a slender annual. It is quite tall and attains a height of 10'. Stem may be branched near the tip. It bears alternate simple leaves with small groups of two or three yellowish coloured flowers; the fruits are long cylindrical capsules.

   This is a very familiar tropical fruit plant belonging to the family 'Bromeliaceae'. It furnishes fibres of great strength and fine quality. They are white, shiny, very durable, flexible and are not injured by water. The plants are cultivated for fibre, and are planted close to each other. The fibres are collected from the leaves. Usually leaves are cut after two years and the leaves are scraped out by hand, dried and combed out. The fibres are tied end to end and can be woven. In Philippines Islands the 'pina cloth', is the most delicate and highly prized fabric. In Taiwan, the fibre is used in making stronger fabrics.

    It is a fibre yielding plant, belonging to the family 'Pandanaceae'. It is an Angiosperm member. The plant grows to perfection in the warm, moist climate and in swampy soil. A common much branched shrub, frequently planted on account of the powerful fragrance of its flower.

   The plant yields plaiting fibre obtained from the leaves and roots. The leaves are cut every second year, which yields sufficient fibre to make large bags. The leaves are composed of tough, longitudinal white glossy fibres which are employed for covering huts, making mats, for cordage and for fishing nets