YIELD TO THE ACRE 



CORCHORUS 



Cultivation 



" .">. For p.-uMy the land is well prepared with three or four ploughing 

 with the ordinary country plough, and one or two ladderings. 



\n application of 100 maunds of cowdung per acre to the land 

 lieforo sowing jute, and a top-dressing of one or two maunds of saltpetre 

 per nrrc to the paddy crop when the land is just moist (i.e. when the soil 



inning to dry), will be found very efficacious. 



" 7. The raiyaCs food-supply is not only assured, but the extra jute 

 rop Drives a handsome profit." 



Hoeing and Weeding. In about fifteen days after sowing the weeds 

 lould lie uprooted and the unduly thick sowings counteracted by the 

 healthy plants being removed and the desired spacing secured. This 

 repeated three or four times at intervals of two or three days, the soil 

 nng at the same time loosened. 



Manuring. Very little manure is given to jute, especially where silt 

 posits take place. In fact the superiority of certain districts over others 

 -ly a consequence of the heavy annual deposit of silt. When avail- 

 lie the cultivators employ farmyard manure at the rate of 150 maunds 

 acre (the maund = 82-3 lb.). It is freely admitted this produces fine 

 sy and strong fibre. In fact, conversely, seed of the finest stock when 

 )wn on poor soil, especially if not manured, yields very inferior fibre. 

 Jnder such conditions the plants, moreover, flower early, and it is a maxim 

 it whatever will prolong growth and retard flowering will improve the 

 ility of the fibre. But there are practical difficulties : in many cases there 

 s no carts available to carry manure to the fields, and no roads along which 

 vy loads could be conveyed. Bonemeal, castor-cake, saltpetre and super- 

 losphates have all been tested at the Government farms, but cowdung 

 ive by far the best result. For experiments in manuring jute at Bardwau 

 id Cuttack, the reader should consult the account published by Smith. 

 Harvest. The time for reaping the crop depends entirely on the date 

 sowing ; the season commences with the earliest crop about the end of 

 ic and extends to the beginning of October, the average season being thus 

 >m middle of August to end of September. The crop is considered as 

 >ming into season (as is the case with most fibres) whenever the flowers 

 r>pear, and as past season when the fruits are all formed. The fibre from 

 mts that have not flowered is weaker than from those in fruit ; the latter 

 coarse and wanting in gloss, through strong. Success lies in the mean 

 tween these extremes, namely when the plants are in full flower and 

 Binning to set fruit. Late harvest gives a high weight, and advantage 

 sing taken of this fact might account to some extent for the complaints 

 deterioration, though it seems that avaricious buying, either from 

 zessity or on purpose, has taught the cultivators that rejections formerly 

 smed worthless have now a distinct market value. 

 Crop. The average crop per acre is a little over 12 maunds, but the 

 eld varies considerably, being as high as 36 in some localities and as low 

 6 to 9 in others. It is probable, therefore, that 14 might be a safer figure 

 accept as the average, and it is one borne out by last year's officially 

 corded area and yield. The yield is much dependent, however, on 

 tin- season and the class of cultivation pursued hence the severe 

 fluctuations in supply characteristic of the transactions i<i this fibre. 

 It lias been estimated that with high-class cultivation costing as 

 inin -h as Rs. 30 an acre (or Rs. 2 a maund) the net profit should be 

 from Rs. 20 to Rs. 30 an acre or more, according to the prices ruling, but 



415 



Kiriny .t I 

 M mm--. 



Weeding. 



Manuring. 



Silt. 

 Farmyard 



.M;umrr. 



Advantageous 

 to prolong 

 Growth. 



Harvest. 



Ripe when 

 Flowers a t >i>r ir. 



Late Harvest 

 increases Weight 

 but lowers 

 Value. 



Yield. 



Mannas. 



Improved bjr 

 High -class 

 Cultivation. 



