286 



ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



between rollers and heckled in strong heckling machines, 

 whereby the fibres, now to be wrought up like Hemp, are 

 isolated." The fibres (consisting of many bast-cells) meas- 

 ure generally four to six feet, though there are many 

 much shorter. The cells when isolated vary iu length 

 ; between one-fortieth and one-eighth of an inch. It is easily 

 distinguished from Flax and Hemp by its silky lustre; it is 

 also much more intensively colored by aniline. Fresh 

 Jute has but little color; from whitish it varies into 

 yellowish ; exposed to the atmosphere, and especially to 

 dampness, it becomes deeply colored, as seen in that long 

 used for coffee-sacks, wool-sacks, etc. Fresh white Jute has 

 been found by analysis to contain about six per cent, of 

 water; used brown Jute contains seven or eight per cent. 

 The ash constituents amount to about one per cent. When 

 examined with the microscope, Jute is found to consist of 

 bast-cells, which appear as shown iu transverse section in 

 Fig. 350. The walls vary much in 

 thickness in adjacent cells; and, when 

 examined in longitudinal section, it is 

 found that each individual cell or 

 fibre has at one place thin, and at 

 another place thick, walls, as shown in 

 Fig. 350a. Jute has been used since 

 olden times, in those countries where 

 it is indigenous, in the preparation of 

 Only within the last half century, how- 

 ever, has it come into extended use. From it is manufac- 

 tured coarse cloth in great quantity, used for packing and 

 transporting all manner of goods. Even carpets and cloth 



K 2 ?0_ 



ropes and fabrics. 



Figs. 350, 3.50a. Cells of the Juts fibre m transverse (350) and in longitudinal sec- 

 tion (350a), magnified. 



