Straw consists of the dried stems of such grains as wheat, rye, oats, and barley. Straw has many different uses. Farmers use it as bedding for animals, and for soil improvement. Manufacturers use straw to make hats, baskets, and paper. In the chemical laboratory, straw is used to produce carbon and acetic acid. Straw may someday serve as an energy source.
Wheat straw makes the best hats. The stalks are pulled out of the ground, cut into short lengths, and laid in the sun. The sun bleaches the straw almost white. The leaves are then pulled off, leaving only the stem, which is bleached again with sulfur. The straw is sorted according to color and is ready for weaving into hats. In some countries, mechanical looms do the weaving. But in many parts of Europe, Japan, and China, the work is done by hand. Some of the best hand-braided straw comes from Tuscany, Italy. Panama hats are not made from a straw, but from the leaf fiber of a tropical plant. Straw differs from hay, which is dried grasses or other plants used as feed for animals.
