The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-01-30

Vbe Farnt.
Results of the Experiments
Last Y~ear-Bagging Made
from Carolina Jute-1n-
structions for Cultivation
Time of Sowing and Cut
ting--Seed on the Way.

n meeting Vi tllc hACCullNt
Committee of the Agricultural
Society of South Carolina, was
held at Military Hall, DR.. A. B.
Rose presiding.
The committee on coast lands
submitted the following report,
which was read and ordered to
be presented at the coming meet
ing of the Society:
Your committee on coast
lands beg to report hat in the
spring of last year Jute seed was
distributed in small quantities
among eighty-five planters and
farmers residing in eleven coun-
ties of this State, a large proper
ton, however, being in the sea
coast counties. With the pack
age of seeds a blank form was
furnished to each, to be filled up
BY them, showing the kind Of
land planted, whether clay or
sandy, wet or dry, condition OF
drainage, &c; also the time OF
sowing the seed, the growth dur
ing the first three months, the
time of coming into bloom, and
when the seed began to mature;
these blanks to be returned to
the committee during the winter
that they might be able to form
a correct opinion of the soil best
suited for the growth of Jute in
this country, of the time required
before the plant came into bloom
(at which period it is in the right
condition to be cut for the FIBRE
and also if it could be relied on
to ripen its seed in this part of
the country before the time when
we naturally have a killing frost.
Your committee have received so
far about thirty of these reports.
Without going into details,
which would be tedious, the
general result Of these expert
ments may be stated as follows:
The seed was sown from 1st
April to Both May, and came up
in from six to ten days. The
growth during the first month
wa. about two inches, during the
second month about two feet,
and during the third month from
two to three feet, but on rich
land six, eight and eleven feet
are reported as the growth of
the third month.
The average height of the
plant when full grown was from
eight to ten feet, and the diane
ter of stalk at the butt from
three-quarters of an inch to one
and a quarter inches; but III
some cases the stalks measured
fifteen feet in height and three
inches in diameter. The plant
began to bloom about four
months from the time of sowing
the seed, and the seed began to
ripen In about six months from
time of sowing, and continued to
do so until the first frost. Jute
sown 1st April began to mature
its seed about 1st October, and
that sown 10TH April about two
weeks later.
The instructions for sowing
and cultivating the Jute issued
by your committee last spring
were with the view of making as
much seed as possible the first
year., and therefore nothing was
said about it's treatment to OBJ
tain the fibre, and no attempt
was made in the low country to
save the fibre. Mr.. d. 0. Haw-
thorn, of Abbeville county, how
ever, stepped enough of the plant
to obtain one bag of fibre; this
was purchased by the Charleston
Manufacturing Com
pany, and made into a roll of
cotton bagging, which was ex-
hibited at the Fair Of yourSociety
held last month, and is in all
probability the first piece of cloth
ever made from American grown
Jute.
The fibre of the Abbeville
compared favorably with
that imported from East India,
10th of which were on eXhlbl-