10 



many cases the sticks are allowed to lie in such a way on the ground after 

 cutting that while the leafy tops are exposed raosfc of the stem is hidden. 

 In this way the leaves are and can be shaken off; the upper branched portion 

 of the stem is then cut away and the plant is immersed. They remain 

 thus until the retting- process has commenced in the lower portion after which 

 the plants are completely immersed. In this way there is even retting 

 throughout the plant ; if the practice is not carried out the softer upper 

 portion of the plant is often overretted by the time the lower portion is, 

 finished. R. S. F.] 



Extracting fibre. All the fibre is extracted and washed in the manner 

 described for the test sticks. The bark on separating from the wood should 

 never be btaten with a wooden mallet, as is done for the ambddi (Hibiscus 

 cannabinns) fibre. That spoils the jute fibre. It should only be stirred and 

 washed in water to extricate all the intervening cellular matter. 



Drying. The wet fibre should be hung on horizontal lengths of bamboos 

 in the open air for drying. The knots of these bamboos must have been made 

 smooth. The fibre should not be hung on a string. The bamboo admits of 

 spreading of the fibres at the points of suspensions, which facilitates* 

 thorough drying, while on the string the fibres are apt to collect into 

 groups winch retard drying "and blacken the fibre. 



Crop on rainfall alone. Jute can also be grown successfully without 

 irrigation, provided the ante-monsoon rains in the earlier part of May soak the 

 soil well after it has been made ready, manured, etc., in the manner described 

 above. Soon after the seeds should be sown. Subsequent rains in a normal' 

 season do generally fall at the proper times and the crop becomes a success. 

 Indeed, it was grown this year in the Ganeshkhind Gardens without irrigation 

 and the showers came on when it was just arranged to irrigate the field, the 

 plants being then about 4 feet high. 



Varieties of jute. The following are varieties of jute : 



Dhavla Sunder ... The stalks of this are white. 



Kajali ... The stalks are red. 



Hatia ... Stalks are brownish green. 



Bidda Sunder ... Stalks and leaves are red. 



The white -stalked variety is considered to yield the best fibre. [Opinions] 

 differ widely about this in different districts. R. S. F.] 



The peculiarity of the jute plant seems to be that its full] 

 flowering period commences in August irrespective of the date of 

 sowing so that to insure a chance of a crop of full height, sowing 

 must be accomplished by the middle of April at the latest. This] 

 implies the necessity of irrigation until the setting in of the south- 

 west monsoon. In spite of a considerable fall of rain in the present! 

 season three supplies of irrigation water were also necessary.) 

 Corchorus capsularis, which is probably the true jute plant, grow* 

 normally. But Corchorus olitorius which is a common wild] 

 plant in the Deccan reverts to its unsatisfactory branched ant 

 stunted habit. In procuring the seed for future experiments 



