VEGETABLE FIBERS. 521 



the many varieties of jute the most common are known by the names 

 Utfariya, Desival, Desl, I>eora,* Ifaralnganji, Balcrabadi, Bhatial, &c., 

 valued in the order in which they are named. 



Jute doubtless takes its name from the Sanscrit, as the words jhont, 

 jhot, undjiiat are all derived from the Sanscrit j/i<ii, meaning "to be en- 

 tangled." One form of the root isjat, and from it are produced Jato and 

 jjufa, both meaning " matted hair." The numQjiite was tirst used by Dr. 

 iJoxburgh. The Bengal name of the plant is Fat or Faat, the liber jwte, 

 the cloth Tat Chotee, and Megila. The Malays call the plant Rami Tsjina^ 

 and tho Chinese name is Oi-moa, «&c. 



As to the geographical distribution of jute, C. capsiilaris is cultivated 

 in India by the Malays and by the Chinese to a limited extent, and has 

 been introduced into the United States, t C. olitorius, also cultivated 

 in India, has been naturalized in all parts of the tropics "| as far north as 

 the shores of the Mediterranean. It is also grown in Egypt and Syria 

 as a pot-herb ; hence the name, Jew's Mallow. 



C. siliq2iosus is a species indigenous in the West Indies and other por- 

 tions of tropical America. The negToes are said to use the twigs for 

 making besoms, but it is not regarded as a fiber plant. The genus Cor- 

 chorus includes, in all, some forty or fifty species of plants. When ex- 

 amined longitudinally with the microscope — 



The fiber lias the appearance of compact aud closely-united bundles. They are ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to separate, even after a strong alkaline bath. They can, however, 

 be separated into cells which are short, stiJff, and pointed. The body of the fiber 

 seems to be bordered vs'ith two brilliant bauds, which represent the thickness of the 

 cell walla, which is ordinarily slight in comparison with the interior cavity. This 

 character, though general, is not absolute. The surface of the fiber has a smooth ap- 

 pearance, though the profile is sometimes notched or marked with deep sinuosities, 

 especially noticeable toward the ends, which grow slender in a more abrupt manner 

 than the long fiber of flax and hemp. The central cavity is nearly always apparent, 

 even to the extremity of the fibril. 



Viewed transversely with a power of 300 diameters, the sections of the 

 fibers are polygonal, with straight sides, and sharp angles. In the cen- 

 ter of each polygon there is a round or oval opening with smooth edges. 

 The fibers are always shown to be gathered incompact masses, or often 

 joined closely together. Some of the polygons are almost triangular in 

 shape. 



Experiments as to tenacity are recorded as follows: Common flax 

 broke with a strain of 39 pounds; jute (C capsidari'i), 67 pounds and 

 {G. olitorms) 08 pounds; English hemp, 105 pounds; Agave fiber, 110 

 pounds ; and India bow-string hemp, 120 pounds. These experiments 

 place jute between flax and best English hemp for strength. 



The collection of jute in the museum is an interesting one. A few 

 si">ecimens of American-grown jute fiber are exhibited, as showing the 

 result of experiment in this country. The principal series, however, was 

 iwesented to the department by the Mcthuen Jute Manufacturing Com- 

 pany (of Massachusetts) and illustrates the manufacture of the fiber in 



* It has been stated that " in the Deora districts of Furredpore and Backergunge the 

 plant which thrives so well in the marshes is the Deora jute, which in reality is only 

 the Maesta (Hibiscus cannal)inus)." — Iteport on Cultivaiion of Jute in Bengal. 



tThe seed of jute has been repeatedly imported and distributed by the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and grown experimentally, with a fair degree of success, through- 

 out the cot ton States, but has failed to become a commercial product from the lack of 

 perfected machinery for the economically successful preparation of the fiber. For de- 

 tails of jute culture in the United States, with the results of experiments, see annual 

 and monthly reports from 1870 to 1875, inclusive, published by the department. 



X Sj'.ecimens of jute of both species accompanied the Queensland collection of fibers, 

 presumably grown in ^liat country, but, as it is not so stated in as many words, I will 

 not say that jute has been introduced into Australia. 



