The New International Encyclopædia/Coir

COIR (Tamil kayiru, cord), or Cocoanut Fibre. The fibre of the husk of the cocoanut palm. Coir is a corruption of a word meaning rope. Its manufacture has become an important industry, both in England and America. The fibre of the husk is divided into two classes—the ordinary fibre converted directly into mats, and the so-called brush fibre, which lies just under the skin. The latter is packed under great pressure, and then shipped to the manufacturer. It is spun by special machinery, and produces a perfectly cabled yarn, which is woven into doormats or ordinary yard-matting. In 1901 the coir imported into the United States amounted to 3,901,384 pounds, valued at $141,830. The refuse from coir is used for stuffing mattresses, and also in horticulture as a protection against insects for vines and young trees.