41 



Bordeaux mixture. It is also cheap, and on the whole is one of our 

 most valuable remedies. 



Sulphate of Iron (Copperas or Green Vitriol.) 



Against anthracnose of the grape the following application has 

 shown itself to be of great value, and it is regularly used by European 

 vineyardists. 



Water, (hot), 100 parts 



Iron Sulphate, as much as the water will dissolve. 



Sulphuric acid, 1 part. 

 Great care should be exercised in using this preparation, as it is ex- 

 ceedingly caustic and will injure machinery, clothes, and nearly every- 

 thing with which it comes in contact. It is generally applied with a 

 swab made by tying rags about the end of a stick. Dormant vines 

 are uninjured by the treatment. 



JUTE. 



Whilst Jute will grow upon any kind Jof soil, it is found in India 

 that it is only profitably cultivated on a loamy soil or rich clay and 

 sand in a hot damp climate in which the rainfall is not too heavy. 



Jute has been tried in several parts of India, but without success 

 except in the northern and eastern part of Bengal and in Assam. In 

 Burma the only difficulty is the cost of labour. 



The preparation of the soil is costly as it requires to be ploughed 

 from four to six times before sowing the seed. In about 3J months 

 from sowing, it flowers, and is then ready for reaping. 



The average crop of fibre is 1 1 cwt., per acre, but the yield varies 

 enormously according to season and district, sometimes being as high 

 as 24 cwts., and again as low as 2 cwt. " The fibre is separated from 

 the stems by a process of retting in pools of stagnant water. In some 

 districts the bundles of jute stems are submerged in rivers, but the 

 common practice seems to be in favour of tanks or roadside stagnant 

 pools. The period of retting depends upon the nature of the water, 

 the kind of fibre, and condition of the atmosphere. It varies from 

 two to twenty-five days. The operator has therefore to visit the tank 

 daily, and ascertain, by means of his nail, if the fibre has begun to 

 separate from the stem. This period must not be exceeded, otherwise 

 the fibre becomes rotten and almost useless for commercial purposes. 

 The bundles are made to sink in the water by placing on the top of 

 them sods and mud, when the proper stage has been reached, the ret- 

 ting is rapidly completed. The cultivator standing up to the waist in 

 foetid water, proceeds to remove small portions of the bark from the 

 ends next the roots, and, grasping them together, he strips off the 

 whole with a little management from end to end without breaking 

 either stem or fibre. Having brought a certain quantity into this 

 half-prepared state, he next proceeds to wash off ; this is done by tak- 

 ing a large handful, swinging it round his head he dashes it repeat- 

 edly against the surface of the water and draws it through towards him 

 so as to wash off the impurities ; then with a dexterous throw, he 

 spreads it on the surface of the water ani carefully picks off all re- 

 maining black spots. It is now wrung out so as to remove as much 



