Bast is the inner bark of exogenous trees, especially of thel ime or linden, consisting of several layers of fibres. The manufacture of bast into mats, ropes, shoes, etc, was in some districts of Russia a considerable branch of industry, bast mate, used for packing- furniture, covering' plants in gardens, etc, being exported in large quantities during the 19th century. Though the term is usually restricted, many of the most important fibres of former commerce, such as hemp, flax, jute, etc, were the products of bast or liber. Research Bast
Canvas is a coarse, unbleached cloth made from hemp or flax and used for sails, tents, etc. When prepared for portrait-painting it is classed as kit-cat, 28 by 36 inches, three-quarters, 25 by 30; half-length, 40 by 50; bishop's half-length, 44 or 45 by 56;
bishop's whole length, 58 by 94. Research Canvas
Datiscin is a substance yielded by the bastardhemp, Datisca cannabina, a herbaceousdioeciousperennial, a native of the south of Europe, where it is used as a substitute for Peruvian bark, and for making cordage. Datiscin is extracted from the leaves, and is used as a yellow dye. Research Datiscin
Ganja was originally the Indian name for the dried shoots of the female hemp plant which have hashishresin on them. Today it is a Jamaican slang expression for cannabis and hashish. Research Ganja
A hackle is a board set with sharp steel spikes for combing or pulling out hemp or flax to dispose the fibres in parallelism and to separate the long and the short threads. Research Hackle
Millboard is a type of cardboard made from paper refuse material. The best quality, used for book bindings, was made from hemp, rope, yarn, cotton or linen rags hand formed in moulds. Research Millboard
A slow match is a simple type of fuse which smoulders very slowly. Traditional slow matches were prepared by soaking loose hemp cords in a dilute solution of potassium nitrate and then drying them. When ignited, such a fuse burns at a rate of about eight centimetres an hour. Formerly slow watches were employed in matchlock guns as a means of keeping a light ready for use over lengthy periods, and more recently in military and civil blasting to provide a delay action in various types of projectiles and in fireworks. Research Slow Match
The stone was a standard British weight equivalent to 14 pounds. This was the Imperial stone, other stones were in use including - 16 pounds being the stone for cheese, 32 pounds for hemp, 24 pounds for wool and 8 pounds for both butcher's meat and fishmonger's fish. Officially Britain is metric, using kilograms, but the stone lives on reflecting the independence of the British people.
Tarpaulin is a heavy weather-proof cloth manufactured chiefly in Scotland and used for protecting goods and seaman's hats and similar defences against the weather. Tarpaulin is made from hemp, flax, cotton or jute treated with tar or similar substances. Research Tarpaulin
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Bast
