no 



Cellulose 



The fibres or filaments are somewhat matted together in 

 the strands by reason of the great pressure under which 

 the bales are packed, and also in part owing to the presence, in 

 the tissue, of mucilaginous or pectic bodies (parenchymatous 

 residues &c). Jute requires, therefore, a softening treatment as 

 a preliminary to the preparing operations of the spinner. It is 

 opened out from the bales, dusted, and passed through a series 

 of heavy fluted ' breaking' rollers, being simultaneously sprinkled 

 with water and whale-oil-. By this treatment the subdivision 

 and drawing of the fibres in the hackling, or combing, and 

 spinning processes is greatly facilitated. For the purposes of 

 laboratory investigation the fibre may be freed from adventitious 

 impurities by boiling in weak solutions of sodium carbonate, 

 washing well to remove soluble matters, and rubbing well in a 

 stream of water, to remove residues of cortical parenchyma. 



The bast fibre thus obtained is somewhat harsh to the touch, 

 coloured as described, more or less, and having a certain amount 

 of lustre. 



Its specific gravity is 1*436 (Pfuhl), 1*587 after purification 

 by boiling in alkaline solutions (Cross and Bevan). 



The following results of proximate analyses of various specimens 

 are given by Hugo Miiller, Pflanzenfaser, p. 59. 



To compare these results chiefly for cellulose with the 



