72 



THE OUT-TURN OF CLEAN, 

 MARKETABLE FIBRE. 



According to Dr. Forbes 

 Watson, 12 1500 is given as 

 the yield per acre, but this 

 must be the maximum out- 

 turn of the most prolific jute- 

 growing district(Backer j unge). 

 According to the Report of the 

 Jute Commission, the out-turn 

 per acre in 1872, the above 

 figures are given as the largest 

 yield, and 160 Ibs. per acre as 

 the minimum. Baboo Hem 

 Ch under Kerr, alluding to his 

 comparative statement, writes : 

 " The above table gives an ave- 

 rage of 5 mannds 14 seers per 

 beegah (or 850 Ibs. per acre) 

 all round. This is, however, 

 not a true index of the actual 

 produce, the average being 

 affected by the scanty pro- 

 duce of a large number of un- 

 favourable districts. Taking 

 the large jute-growing districts 

 alone, the average would be 

 about G inaunds per beegah (or 

 about 960 Ibs. per acre.) (P. 

 36.) 



COST OF CULTIVATION. 



"This fluctuates from Rs. 

 1-15 to Rs. 17 (or Is. lOd. to 

 1 13s. 2d.) per acre per 

 annum. Bearing in mind that 

 almost universally the cultiva- 

 tion, except in the case of a 

 limited number of the more 

 wealthy class of ryots, is carried 

 on by the ryots themselves and 

 their families' and hired labour, 

 hired ploughs and cattle are 

 very rarely called into use, it 

 must be evident that the exact 

 out-of-pocket expense is no 

 criterion of the actual cost. 

 These figures, therefore, as also 

 those showing the cost of pre- 



THE OUT-TURN OF CLEAN, 

 MARKETABLE FIBRE. 



Under the present rude 

 and wasteful system of pre- 

 paring the fibre (which shows 

 a waste of 25 per cent.) one- 

 acre is said to yield 582 Ibs., 

 or 727 Ibs. where waste is 

 guarded against. (Part I., par. 

 30.) 



COST OF CULTIVATION. 



2 9s. 8d. per acre, and 

 when once this has been in- 

 curred no further outlay is re- 

 quisite each year as with 

 jute. The Collector of Shi- 

 karpore seems to consider that 

 cultivation is unnecessary, and 

 that there is sufficient of the 

 plant growing wild in his col- 

 lectorate alone to keep twenty 

 factories employed. (Part II., 

 par. 30.) 



