FIBRES 521 



gation, and it is probable that it may ultimately be possible 

 to increase materially the average yield per acre of the 

 fibre. 



The time of sowing of jute varies from the middle of 

 February in low-lying " Char " lands to the beginning of 

 June in the high western and south-western districts, 

 where sufficient rain often does not fall before the latter 

 date to admit of sowing. The land is usually prepared 

 by alternate use of the plough and mooi or henga, 1 until 

 a sufficiently fine tilth has been induced. The amount of 

 labour involved in this varies considerably, of course, 

 with the nature of the soil. Low-lying bheel soils are 

 similar to lands subject to immersion from river flood, in 

 that they receive the silt and drainage from higher sur- 

 rounding lands. They are not usually manured. Inter- 

 mediate lands which are submerged in the rains, but which 

 receive little or no silt these are typical paddy lands 

 are manured for jute, and in the Rangpur district, for 

 instance, commonly only grow jute for about two years 

 out of five. A rotation for such land might be : 



1st year ... ... ... ... Jute (manured). 



2nd ,, ... ... ... ... Juie (not manured). 



3rd ) 



4th ,, I ... ... ... ... Paddy. 



5th ) 



On high lands which are never submerged it is the 

 custom to manure for each crop of jute. 



Practically the only manure in use at present for jute, 

 as for all other crops in Bengal, is cow-dung mixed with 

 ashes and other house refuse. A common dressing of 

 such manure is from 50 to 75 maunds per acre; but in 

 some cases 100 maunds, and even 150 maunds, are sup- 

 plied per acre. The manure is spread as evenly as 

 possible on the land, and ploughed in before sowing. 

 Recent important work by the Agricultural Department 

 of the Government of Eastern Bengal and Assam points 



1 A mooi is a bamboo instrument rather like an ordinary ladder, 

 about 7 ft. long, which, with the driver standing on it, is drawn 

 over the land, serving the double purpose of a roller and leveller. 

 The henga is a plain log of wood put to a similar use in the 

 more westerly districts. 



