28 



TEXTILE FIBRES. 



or hemp coverings. A bale of jute, formerly, only weighed 300 Ibs., 

 but now its weight is often 400 Ibs. India has become a famous seat of 

 the jute industry, and is now a keen competitor with Dundee. 



An alluvial formation with a hot and moist soil is the best suited 

 for the jute plant. The sowing time is March, April and May; the time 

 for cutting the jute plant is just when it appears in full flower; if cut at 

 a later stage the tissues undergo some change, the fibres become hard 

 and brittle, particularly if the plant is allowed to seed. 



The jute, when cut, is retted in a manner nearly similar to the 

 system that is adopted in the case of flax. In some cases it is stalked 



Fig. 16. Jute fibres. 



before retting. The bast fibres when detached from the stem of the 

 plant are dried in the sun. 



It is essential that jute should be packed in a dry state ; otherwise, 

 it is liable to heat and burst into flames. This is known as spontaneous 

 combustion. 



"Cuttings" are the woody ends of the jute plant, and the fibres of 

 the lowest class are known as "rejections." 



Microscopic Appearances. Fig. 17 shows fibres of jute as seen under 

 the microscope ; it is a bast tissue with apparent bundles of stout, glossy 

 fine cylindrical fibrils with the walls irregularly thickened, (a) shows 

 the normal structure of the jute fibre, and (b) the fibres when treated 

 with nitric acid under a high power objective. 



