The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-27
SUCCESSFUL INTRODUCTION OF THE
UTE PLANT INTO THE UNITED

UTE PLANT INTO THE UNITED
+ In the course of the last thirty years an
export from India, in the shape of Jutc and
its fabrics, has grown from insignifcance
to commercial importance. 1t has become
one of the chief products Of India. =
In 1859 the export of Jute and its manu-
features to England exceeded one hundred
and thirty. millions of pounds. 1t has since
then increased, and at least sixty millions
Of pounds, in the shape of raw material,
bale-cloth, or gunny-bags, were sent last
year to the United States. The import into
this country is consumed principally in the
Southern States, where it forms the Ell
velope for cotton. a4 II
The Jute and its fabrics imported by us
last year, cost in India three millions of
dollars ; but, after voyage of fifteen thou
sand miles, transhipment, commission, and
after another voyage to the South, must
cost the planter several millions more.
A few years since, gentleman of this
city imported half bushel of the seed
from Calcutta, and tried to naturalize the
plant i'll his own garden at Lynn. The
seeds vegetated, but the plant, like cotton
in our climate, rose only to the height of
one or two feet, and did not ripen in its
seed. gas +s,
Not disheartened by this lie sent the res
idue of his seed to the department of agri-
culture at Washington for Southern distri-
button, but the receipt of it was never ac-
knowledgcd, and it possibly miscarried.
In 1860, while on visit to Washington.
he brought the subject again before the de-
partment; suggested mode for procuring
the seed and induced the department to
send out orders to India for supply.
The january reports of the department
give the result, which is one of great in
terest to the country it shows the seed
has been secured and sown, and the plant
successfully raised in both Texas and Louis-
lana. Although the seed was sown as late
as tile last of May, the plant obtained the
full height of India, ten to fifteen feet. and
ripened its seed in two of our Southern
States. 1t appears to grow best in the bot
tom lands, and doubtless may be eultivated
to advantage in the moist land of Florida
and Mississippi. and become there second
only in Importance to our cotton crop, pro-
vided the planters appreciate the value of
the acquisition. AT this moment we might
find market in Europe for million ofbales,
and if instead of three millions of bales of
cotton tor export we had but two millions
OF bales of cotton and one of Jute, we
would doubtless realize this year third
more money from our fibrilia.
Jute is produced with more ease and less
expense than any other fibre. While cotton
in India yields less than one hundred
pounds to the acre, jutc yields from four to
seven hundred pounds, and has been. I'M
der favorable circumstances, produced as
low as cent per pound. While the pro-
cess of separating the fibres of hemp and
flax from the stalks is very laborous. the
cost OF separating the Jute fibre is very tri-
fling.
The stalks are generally three-fourths of
an inch in diameter, and when ripe, are cut
close to the root, made up into bundles.
and deposited for a week in some pond or |
stream in the vicinity Of the Jute field. The
process Of separating the fibre from the
stem is thus described by M. Healy in the
Journal Of 4gricuhre for India, and in an
article on Fibrilia, contributed by the writer
to the AHantic 1Nagaene for August, 1861:
a"The native operator, standing up to his
middle in water, takes as many of the sticks
in his hands as he can grasp, and removing
. small portion of the bark from the end
next the roots, and grasping them together
ne, with a little management, strips off
he whole from end to end without
breaking either stem or fibre. He then
swinging the cask around his head dashes
t repeatedly against the surface of the wa
er, drawing it towards him to wash off the
The flaments are then hung
Up to dry in the sun, often in length of
welve feet, and when dried the Jute is
eady for market.
A large portion of the crops, which a.
eady exceeds two hundred thousand tons. s
$ exported to England as it comes from
rom the field, and is there used in the
both of wool and cotton to
heapen the fabric. The vigilant eve will :
item detect it in wooden manufactures. in
nawls and even in sail cloths. But when 4
'un with cotton or wool it is very difficult y
} discover its presence. ST
In those districts of India where British =
NIL and commercial enterprise have 4
,ecked the manufacture of muslins and
lcoes, the Hindoos of all classes find in
e culture and manufacture of Jute. en-
oyment for all From the Palanguin
'arer and husbandman down to the Hin a.
% widow, saved by the interposition of !
lgland from the funeral pile; but con-
mined by custom for the residue of her ri
US literally to sack cloth and ashes.v the N
'e and long stapled Jute is reserved for i
export trade for which it bears COM =
ratiyely high price the residue is spun i
\ ~