JUTE 



11 



The Juniperus Bermudiana, the Bermuda red cedar, is a large tree with soft and 

 fragrant -wood, and is what is used in making pencils, and by cabinet-makers. 



The J. Virginia, L., is also used as the so-called cedar for lead-pencils. 



JUTE consists of the fibres of two plants, called the chonch and isbund (Cor- 

 chorus olitorus and Corchorus capsularis), extensively cultivated in Bengal, and 

 forming, in fact, the material of which gunny-bags and gunny-cloth are made. It 

 fetches nearly, though not quite, so high a price as sunn. See SUNX. It comes into 

 competition with flax, tow, and codilla, in the manufacture of stair and other carpets, 

 bagging for cotton and other goods, and such like fabrics, being extensively used for 

 these purposes in Dundee. But it is unsuitable for cordage or other articles into 

 which hemp is manufactured, from its snapping when twisted, and rotting in water. 

 M'CuUoch. 



The importance of jute as an article of manufacture is shown by the following 

 statement of the Exports from India from 1850, when it first began to attract attention 

 in this country, to 1863 : 



1850 

 1851 

 1852 

 1853 

 1854 

 1855 

 1856 

 1857 

 1858 

 1859 

 1860 

 1861 

 1862 



Cwts. 

 391,098 

 584,461 

 535,027 

 340,797 

 509,507 

 699,566 

 882,715 

 673,416 

 788,820 

 317,890 

 761,201 

 1,092,668 

 1,232,279 



1863 . . . . . 1,266,884 



Total Value 



& 



88,989 

 196,936 

 180,976 

 112,017 

 214,768 

 220,241 

 329,076 

 274,957 

 303,292 

 525,099 

 290,018 

 409,372 

 537,610 

 750,456 



The rapid progress of the jute manufacture in this country is thus shown. The 

 following Tables show the increase since 1869, which is to be accounted for by the 

 low cost of the material, and its possessing a considerable amount of spinning 

 quality. 



Imports: nearly all from, British India* 



Years Cwts. 



1869 2,467,000 



1870 ' , 2,376,000 



1871 . ..',.. 3,454,020 



1872 . ' . . . , . 4,041,018 



1873 ... . . . 4,543,000 



The following quantities of yarn and waste of jute "were imported in 1871 and 

 1872: 



The President of the Chamber of Commerce, Dundee, at a meeting (1873) stated 

 that great prosperity had attended the Dundee, trade during the past year, that the 

 whole machinery had been in operation, and that full employment had been obtained 

 by all. The importation of jute had never been greater than in this year, being some 

 20,000 tons more than last. It was mentioned as another indication of the prosperity, 

 that the deposits of the working classes engaged in the jute manufacture in the 

 savings-bank during the present year had increased by 36,000^. or 37,000/. 



It is in Scotland especially where goods made from jute represent a large branch 



