FIBRES 541 



demands considerably more labour than rice, and the 

 reaping- and preparation of the fibre is one of the most 

 exacting stages in its production. If, therefore, the 

 cultivator is coming to a stage when he tries to cultivate 

 more jute than he can conveniently manage, one of the 

 first signs will be a tendency towards more and more 

 careless preparation, arid this is just what appears to be 

 happening. 



This difficulty is to some extent mitigated by the 

 employment of outside labour, for every year large 

 numbers of coolies migrate eastwards from the over- 

 crowded districts of Bihar and the United Provinces, 

 more especially to the jute-growing districts of Northern 

 Bengal. The supply of such labour, however, is not 

 only limited, but it is expensive and, through lack of 

 experience, is often inefficient. The rise in the cost of 

 production of jute, as well as a deterioration in the 

 quality of fibre, is therefore not prevented. 



There appears, therefore, to be some reason for the 

 contention that, as far as actual acreage is concerned, the 

 present jute-producing tract is approaching its limit. 

 There is certainly no ground, on the other hand, for 

 believing that the demand for jute is likely to slacken 

 more than temporarily, and it behoves us, therefore, to 

 examine the position in order to see how this demand is 

 to be met. There are three possible ways, viz. : 



(1) By improving the yield of fibre in the present jute- 

 producing area. 



(2) By extending the cultivation of jute to tracts where 

 it is not at present grown. 



(3) By the cultivation, in tracts which are not suitable 

 for the production of jute, of other plants whose fibre is 

 sufficiently similar to be used as a substitute for jute. 



Taking these points in order : (i) There can be no doubt 

 that as far as the ultimate, if not the immediate, future 

 is concerned agricultural improvement is destined to play 

 as great a part in regard to jute as it has done with other 

 crops in India and elsewhere. In the case of jute, careful 

 plant to plant selection has already placed in our hands 

 races, the yield and quality of which are both considerably 



