The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-07-24
merican Jute

The 4mericun ~1gricuttHrist gives this ac-
count Of a plant which it thinks will answer
Tor jute:
I'm September, 1868, we figured and des-
cribed this .Abutilon as a weed. but as our
engraving gave the plant III its young state
only. we make use of one on the next page,
kindly loaned by the Bureau referred to, as
il shows the mature plant, with Its star
sbaped seed-vessels. That the plant will
Weld A fibre that can be used for all the pur-
noses to which imported Jute IS suited, there
rouId seem to be no doubt. The \. j..
Bureau were so impressed with It's value
that they proposed to the State Legislature
to offer a bounty to encourage the cultivation
of this and other fibre plants the bill passed
the Lower House by a large majority, but
failed in the Senate through being introduced
ut the close Of the session. However, the
Bureau have taken measures to have the
matter fairly tested seeds have been dlstri-
buted to those who would experiment with
it. and Nessrs. Lafrance 4 Paliser, of Phiia-
delphia, the manufacture referred to, offer
to purchase the stalks. We learn that,
through the efforts OF the Bureau, there viii
be at least 100 acres OF the plant grow III
the State this Season-enOugh to test 1t fair
H.. The seed Is sown broadcast on rich
ground. anu SuIilCltIlly lIICh " lllSuIc
straight, u~nbranched stalks. OF course
there is much to learn about the proper cul-
~tivatlon and methods OF preparing it, but
these will soon follow. The specimens we
have seen show a fibre of great excellence,
which, besides answering all the purposes OF
the Eastern ute, may be converted, by cot
tonlzing and other processes, to uses to
which that is not applicable.
Thinking it strange that SO common a
plant. furnishing SO fine a fibre, should not
have been previously utilized, We looked IN
To the matter somewhat, and find that III the
South of France, 1t has been used for
making choice cordage, and on account Of
the high price this brings, 1t Is cultivated for
this purpose" 1t howeyer remained for
our New Jersey friends to see in the fibre a
material which could be converted into
Gunny cloth, and Other coarse fabrics. The
Importance Of this may be appreciated when
We state that IN one year, the California far
mers paid over $3.50, 600 Tor wheat sacks,
and that to bale the crop OF our cotton grow
ing States, costs annually an outlay OF about
1900, 900 for bagging. TO save even a
portion OF this outlay, IS Il worthy object
and we hope that the experiments now IN
stituted by the New Jersey Bureau, may
meet with full success. Should they be
successful, they viii be of national il0por-
tanee, as the plant may, IN all probability,
be cultivated wherever Indian corn will
make a crop. We hope to keep our readers
advised of the result. The name Amer
can Jute,' is to be regretted, as the plant is
not .1merican, nor is it Jute, but it is now
too late to hope for a change, As oul
friends interested in the matter say, "Jute'
is used as a term for the fibre rather than
the plant, and American, indicates the
place Of the production of the fibre, rather
than the origin of the plant, 50 we are forced
to accept it, and wish all success to "Amerl-
can Jute."