44 THE STORY OF GERM LIFE. 



has not been scientifically studied until very re- 

 cently. The bacillus which produces the " ret- 

 ting " is known now, however, and it has been 

 shown that the '* retting " is a process of decom- 

 position of the pectin cement. No method of 

 separating the linen fibres in the flax from the 

 wood fibres has yet been devised which dispenses 

 with the aid of bacteria. 



Jute and Hemp. Almost exactly the same use 

 is made of bacterial action in the manufacture of 

 jute and hemp. The commercial aspect of the 

 jute industry has grown to be a large one, involv- 

 ing many millions of dollars. Like linen, jute is 

 a fibre of the inner bark of a plant, and is mixed 

 in the bark with a mass of other useless fibrous 

 material. As in the case of linen, a fermenta- 

 tion by bacteria is depended upon as a means of 

 softening the material so that the fibres can be 

 disassociated. The process is called " retting," 

 as in the linen manufacture. The details of the 

 process are somewhat different. The jute is com- 

 monly fermented in tanks of stagnant water, al- 

 though sometimes it is allowed to soak in river 

 water for a sufficient length of time to produce 

 the softening. After the fermentation is thus 

 started the jute fibre is separated from the wood, 

 and is of a sufficient flexibility and toughness to 

 be woven into sacking, carpets, curtains, table 

 covers, and other coarse cloth. 



Practically the same method is used in sepa- 

 rating the tough fibres of the hemp. The hemp 

 plant contains some long flexible fibres with others 

 of no value, and bacterial fermentation is relied 

 upon to soften the tissues so that they may be 

 separated. 



Cocoanut fibre, a somewhat similar material, is 



