Ill 



centre for this manufacture, and with proper machinery, succeeded 

 in diverting this industry from the home of the plant in India, 

 causing more attention to be given to the production than to 

 the manufacture. The gradual introduction, however, of modern 

 machinery in India and the erection of mills in Calcutta, added 

 to an increase in the application of the jute fibre to various 

 purposes, has had the effect of increasing the demand for 

 the raw material and the consequent improvement in the price. 

 This is made evident by the fact that the Dundee operatives 

 are seeking fresh sources of supply, and attention has in 

 consequence been drawn to West Africa as a likely field, not- 

 withstanding that the imports of fibre into the United King- 

 dom during 1906 from British India alone amounted to 

 362,262 tons, valued at £8,195,715. It may be mentioned that 

 of this amount 305,413 tons came from Bengal, valued at 

 £6,917,481, beside which the figures for other parts of India 

 and foreign countries are insignificant, and may be regarded as 

 having little or no influence on the trade. The total from all 

 sources, including other British Possessions and foreign countries, 

 was 369,789 tons, value £8,311,232 (Trade of the United Kingdom, 

 1907, p. 189). The foreign countries of the Customs Returns 

 include Germany, Netherlands, France, Egypt, China and 

 U.S. America. The European countries could only mean jute in 

 course of transit ; the Chinese jute may have consisted entirely 

 of the species under consideration or in part with Abutilon 

 Avicennae and other species ; the Egyptian would be likely to be 

 true jute, as also the American. 



It has been stated that the jute-producing districts of Bengal 

 will soon have covered the extent of their productive power and 

 will be quite unable to keep pace with the demand, and the 

 Government of India are already taking steps to increase the area 

 under jute in districts outside Bengal. The outlook for the 

 production in West Africa appears therefore to be a good one, 

 more particularly on the lower reaches of the Niger or the lagoon 

 country of Nigeria. It seems reasonable to suppose that the 

 delta of the Niger would be as suitable for the cultivation as the 

 delta of the Ganges, the present chief commercial source. 



Jute at the present time realises good prices ; a recent return 

 gives "good white to best" £23 to £28 per ton ; "good" £16 to 

 £22; "medium" £13 to £15 10s.; "common" £10 to £12; 

 "rejections" £7 to £10; "cuttings" £3 to £6 per ton (Mom 

 Circ. Ide & Christie, 15th January, 1909). 



Amongst the suggested and possible substitutes for jute have 

 been mentioned several Malvaceous (see p. 66) and Tiliaceous 

 (see p. 105) fibres. 



The established competitors at the present time are Abutilon 

 Avicennae, Urena lobata, and Hibiscus cannabinus ; the first 

 mentioned is well known on the markets as a form of Chinese 

 jute, the second as Aramina fibre, and the third as Bimlipatam 

 jute. 



The main requirements of jute under cultivation appear to be a 

 tropical climate ; a rainfall of 50 inches and upwards ; a rich 

 loam oi- dee}) alluvial soil, kept continually moist, though not 



