Burlap is a material known as a woven fabric, normally constructed from jute skin or the fibers of the sisal plant. It can also be blended with the fibers of certain vegetables in the making of rope and nets. Another use for burlap is the making of gunny sacks or ‘gunny shoes’ used for the transportation of certain foods such as coffee, potatoes, grains and fresh vegetables. The main purpose behind using such material for sacks is because of its durability as well as its resistance to condensation and because of this perishables do not perish as fast.
Potatoes especially used to benefit from the use of burlap sacks because they had to be transported from the Idaho farms where they were grown, but sadly this is no longer the case. The weight of potatoes per sack is about one hundred pounds, hence the term of a common measurement acceptable to the farming community being ‘a sack’.
Burlap is also used in the making of bags which carry sand, used in emergencies when flood waters threaten properties and also to prevent erosion. Hemp and jute are similar natural fibers to that of burlap and it is possible to find stores that sell various types of all of those for the purpose of making bags, clothes and other items. Most stores will sell burlap by the yard but other measurements can be purchased—even though it is charged by the yard. The toughness of the fibers make burlap an idea ‘sack’ material because the fibers so not stretch or become distorted. If you have even seen the sack at the bottom of a pile of sand bags you might have noticed that it looks no different to sack on the top and can hold its shape perfectly.
Where Does Hessian Comes from?
Hessian is credited as being a German word, created from the people of the State of Hesse, who were known as ‘Hessians’. They made their German military uniforms from the burlap material but at the time had no specific name for it and adopted it has ‘hessian’ for that reason. Hessian has been used a durable material for many years, dating back to the nineteenth century when it was used as a back for carpets and rugs.
To find burlap by the yard check out the Burlap store website for a list of their products and prices.
