5^4 FIBRES 



in order to prevent its entire destruction by a sudden rise 

 of the rivers. The jute which comes into the market 

 before the middle of July is usually immature, and may 

 be a hastily reaped crop or the produce of a late thinning 

 operation. 



The great bulk of the jute crop may be said to be cut 

 at about the time when the flowering stage is approaching 

 completion, from the middle of July to the end of August, 

 and it may be taken that before this the crop is immature. 

 There are several advantages in cutting at this stage, 

 viz. : 



(a) The crop has practically reached its maximum 

 height, so that the yield of fibre is also approaching its 

 maximum. 



(b) The quality of the fibre is rather finer than at later 

 stages. 



(c) The retting process is considerably shorter, partly 

 on account of the higher temperature of the water, and 

 partly because of the greater succulence of the plant. 



The cutting of jute is carried out with a crescent-shaped 

 knife, with a toothed edge, rather similar to a small 

 European sickle. The cut stems are tied in bundles, and, 

 as a rule, are immersed at once, especially in flooded 

 districts. In Western Bengal, however, on high land, 

 it is the custom to place the bundles on the ground close 

 together in a long line, so that the upper leafy portion 

 of one bundle covers the bare stem of the bundle under- 

 neath. In this way a sort of fermentation seems to take 

 place, for the stems " sweat," becoming greasy to the 

 touch, and the retting process subsequently takes place 

 more quickly and more evenly. After immersion retting 

 may be complete in a week to ten days in the hottest part 

 of the season, when the temperature of the water often 

 exceeds 85 F. With older plants, however, and more 

 especially if the water is becoming cooler, e.g., after the 

 beginning of September, retting becomes very much 

 slower. In October the process is not likely to take less 

 than a month, and at a later date it might easily occupy 

 six weeks or two months. The retting or rotting is due 

 to bacterial agency, and the optimum temperature for 

 the fermentation appears to be from 90 to 95 F. It 

 has been found that the activity of the organisms can be 



