The Jute Industry: From Seed to Finished Cloth

uit or seed vessel. Thus, the fruit of the variety Corchorus Capsularis is enclosed in a capsule of approximately circular section, whereas the frui

n Panama for making a kind of tea, while one variety of jute plant is referred to in the book of job as t

the production of fibre, while for seed purposes, large tracts of land are cultiv

are sometimes rather dark in colour, but, in general, they are green or pink, and straight with a tendency to branch. The leaves are alternate on the stems, 4 to 5 inches in length, and about 1-1/2 inches

sful cultivation of them are completely fulfilled only in the Bengal area, and the geographical position of this province is mainly responsible for these conditions

e moist warm air raises the general temperature and also melts much of the snow on the mountain tracts. The rain and melted snow swell the two great rivers on the east and west of Bengal--the Patna and the Brahmaputra--and the tre

g on the courses of the rivers, and particularly in Mymensingh, Dacca, Hooghly and Pabna, and while 90 per c

ariety is most suited for the lower-lying alluvial soils, and to the districts where the rainfall is irregular; indeed

is country; there is evidently not the same necessity for extensive working of the Indian soil as there

ed to the plough as shown in Fig. 1 where a field is being ploughed as a preliminary process in

ods may be broken by hand mallets or by the use of the "hengha"--

a few bamboos fixed cross-wise and provided with projecting pins to scratch or open the soil, and to collect the roots of the previous crop;

e artificial or chemical manures added at similar stages in the process. Farm-yard manure

ich appears most suitable for the particular district. The usual sowing time is from Febru

VES PLOUGHI

ed over the districts for the growing period will not only yield a succession of crops for easy harvesting,

secure as uniform a distribution as possible. The amount of seed used depends partly upon the district, and in

G UP THE SOIL,

ch has been collected from plants grown from inferior seed, or from odd and often poor plants; they also grow plants year after year on the same soil. The fibres obtained, as a

h should be broken; this is done by means of another ladder provided with long pins, and Fig. 2 illustrates the operation in process. This second laddering process opens up the soil and allows

e is a tendency to slow growth, there is an abundance of plants; whereas, the t

s are held as to the best time for harvesting, that when the fruits are setting appears to be most in favour; plants harvested a

e for the purpose. A field of jute plants ready for cutting will certainly form a delightful picture, but the prospect of the operation of cuttin