280 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FARM. 



It is not, however, an established industry in this 

 country, and cannot become one until some machine 

 is brought into use which will economically extract 

 the fibre from its tough, gummy stalk. 



JUTE. 



Jute has been cultivated in somewhat recent times 

 in Southern Asia and tropical Africa. The most of the 

 jute of commerce comes from Bengal. 



There are two species. Chorchorus capsular is is 

 nine to ten feet high, and has short, globular pods, 

 while Chorchorus olitorius is smaller and has elongated 

 cylindrical pods. The fibre of both is practically the 

 same. The leaves of the small species is largely used 

 as a vegetable. 



Jute likes a moist, warm climate, and a rather sandy 

 soil. It may be grown in the cotton belt. It is raised 

 from seed, which may be sown about the same time as 

 cotton. It may be drilled like wheat, using fifteen to 

 twenty pounds of seed per acre. 



Like ramie, it will not become an established indus- 

 try in this country until the fibre can be economically 

 extracted from the stalk. 



SISAL. 



Several species of the genus agave, to which the 

 century plant belongs, have been cultivated by the na- 

 tives of Central America for thousands of years, the 

 most highly prized being Agave rigida var. Sisalana. 

 Yucatan is the principal source of our commercial 

 supply of sisal fibre. The fibre is obtained from the 

 large thick leaves by crushing with crude machinery. 



The sisal or century plant grows on barren rocky 

 land which is useless for other agricultural purposes. 



