134 JUTE AND SIMILAR FIBRES 



Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), Lathyrus sativus, or 

 Phaseolus Mungo is sometimes practised with good 

 results. 



The seed is sown between the middle of February 

 and the end of June, according to the climatic and 

 other conditions of the locality. The seeds are sown 

 broadcast on a clear, sunny day, the soil having been 

 sufficiently moistened by rain, and are then lightly 

 covered to a depth of J inch to i inch, either by hand, 

 or by harrowing, or by drawing a wooden beam over 

 the field. They must not be ploughed in deeply or 

 left on the surface uncovered by earth. The amount 

 sown is about 8-10 Ib. per acre. The seed for sowing 

 is usually obtained from a few plants allowed to 

 mature the previous year in a corner of the field ; 

 it is of importance that the seed should be carefully 

 selected. 



Efforts are being made by the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment of Bengal to improve the yield and quality of 

 the fibre, and races of the plant have now been obtained 

 which are decidedly above the average in both respects. 

 Seed farms have been established in order to produce 

 seed of these improved kinds in sufficient quantities 

 to supply the needs of the cultivators. 



When the plants have grown several inches or a 

 foot high, the land is weeded and the plants are 

 thinned out. The space left between the plants is 

 usually 6 inches, but is sometimes 8 10 inches. It 

 has been stated that spacing of 4-6 inches gives the 

 best results. When the seed is sown sparsely, a 

 better yield is obtained but the fibre is coarser. 



PESTS 



The jute plant is sometimes infested by a small 

 black weevil (Apion sp.) which feeds on the leaves. 

 The insect breeds in the stems, in which the grubs 

 bore tunnels, thus causing the plant to become 

 stunted and withered. 



A green semilooping caterpillar (Cosmophila sabu- 

 lifera) has been observed on jute plants grown experi- 

 mentally in Bihar. It attacks the terminal leaf- 



