183 



The total amount of fibre imported during 1909 was 6453 tons 

 (Mon. Circs. Ide & Christie, Dec. 15th, 1909, and Jan. 15th, 1910), 

 and the average for the past 10 years (1900-1909) is 5309 tons (Mon. 

 Circs, idem, Jan. 1905 and Jan. 1910). 



Under cultivation for fibre Sunn Hemp requires a light, poor, or at 

 the best, a moderately rich soil, with free drainage. Clay, according 

 to Wisset & Watt, is not suitable, but according to Roxburgh strong 

 clay soils suit it best. The secret of soil, perhaps, lies in the fact 

 that the plant does not like stagnation at the roots, and will not, like 

 jute, grow on inundated lands ; clay soils, well worked, may suit ifc 

 in a dry climate, but where a heavy rainfall occurs they would 

 appear to be quite impossible. A light sandy soil, according to 

 Duthie & Fuller (Field Crops, p. 83), gives the tallest plants. Rich 

 soils tend to the production of coarse fibre. Soil is of secondary 

 consideration when the plant is grown as a green manure. 



The seed may be sown broadcast on land well prepared by plough- 

 ing and harrowing. It should be sown thickly in order to prevent 

 branching and to save weeding. 



The amount required per acre may vary — 70 to 120 lbs. (Watt) ; 

 one maund [about 82 lbs.] in N.W, Provinces and Oudh (Duthie & 

 Fuller) ; 70 Madras measures [245 lbs.] in Tinnevelly ; 20 to 30 seers 

 [40 to 60 lbs.] in the Godaveri and Kistna deltas (Subba Rao) ; 80 to 

 125 lbs. (Spon's Encyc. p. 946). The seed is remarkable for germi- 

 nating quickly ; according to Duthie & Fuller (I.e.) the seedlings 

 show above ground 24 hours after being sown. 



The plants, for full development, require to be placed about 3 or 

 4 in. apart, and once the field is established, little or no care is 

 required. They grow to a height of 6-10 ft., possibly higher, and 

 come to maturity in 3 or 4 months, 



Opinions vary somewhat as to the right time to cut for fibre — 

 usually when in flower (Watt) ; while in flower if the fibre is for 

 fine purposes, and when in seed or when the seed is ripe if strength 

 is desired (Spon's Encyc. I.e.) ; the finest, strongest, and best fibre 

 may possibly be got from plants which are not dead ripe, but very 

 good fibre is got from a ripe crop (Mollison). In all parts of the 

 Madras Presidency, except the Godaveri and Kistna deltas, the crop 

 is cut after the seed is ripe (Subba Rao). 



It has been stated that in this country a particular shade of colour 

 is desirable to admit of mixture with Russian Hemp {Cannabis 

 sativa) (Watt, Comm. Prod. India, p. 435) ; this would in all pro- 

 bability also depend largely on the retting. 



In the Godaveri and Kistna deltas about 2 feet of the branched 

 tops are cut off before the plants are reaped, and used as fodder 

 (Subba Ruo). The same practice is general in the N.W. Provinces 

 and Oudh, the tops being cut when the plants are in full flower 

 (Duthie & Fuller, I.e.). 



Harvesting, retting, and preparation in general is much the same 

 as for Jute (Corchorus capsularis, q.v.). 



The washing is somewhat more laborious. In India an expert 

 washer, it is stated, can turn out 7-8 seers [14 to 16 lbs.] in three 

 hours, and about 15 seers [30 lbs.] in a day, which equals the out- 

 turn of 5-6 maunds [410-492 lbs.] of plants. The fibre, after 

 washing, in the N.W. Provinces and Oudh, is cleaned or drawn, and 

 a woman can treat by hand 8 to 10 seers [16 to 20 lbs.] of fibre 

 daily (Duthie & Fuller, Field Crops, i. p. 84). 



The yield per acre has been given at 520 lbs. (Mollison) ; 640 lbs, 



