Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-16

80 ''.s INV shS NY otSIy ~ tuO CAWElty
| Hospital. ROBERT N. Yosr.
- THE CULTURE OF ,1uTE.
VfA8f}} nj fi,s .-s-a----L- sel ii b!
The. press 81, the Southern States 10 re-.
specially requested to publish the fol.
lowing letter Of Prof. Waterhouee on
lutte: l'..4' 81 i5'f 4
~ WARRINGTON UNtvrKslrY. !
II St. Louis, November 70, 1880. {
70 the Editor Of the Democrat.
wish, through the courtesy Of the
Southern press, to AK those planters to
whom | sent jute seed last spring 70 70.
port to me the results 81 their expert
mehts. The seed was furnished Oh the
express condition that Ill the circam-
sfancesof ito growth should be carefully
accorded. The locality, kind Of coil Nv.
srage temperature and moisture, amount
,of hllage, cost Of cultivation, time, Of
planting planting and cutting, height Of plant
and quality Of fibre, ars the main facts
which the report should embrace. ltis
believed that tho records u these sxp.-
riments viii afford incontesssbls proof
that Indian jntc csn be successfully
raised In our Gulf States. An earlx
compliance with my request will srea4ly
facilitate efforts which are freely aivsh
" the promotion Of this importaat inter.
est, .,, S.
The result Of personal investigations
in India is positive assurance that H.
dian jute eau be natnralizsd in this
country. There Is q substantial identity
Of conditions The ss,hi-tropical climate
the moist, allnvial soil and Tho humid
atmosphere which ere essential 10 the
growth ofjate are found in ths DUFF
States as we'll as Ia India. The land IN
the Gull States adapted to the erowth
Of juteis probably for more extensive
than thai. which which in India 10, now
devoted to the culture Of that plant. II.
in the high latitude Of st. Louis, whore
scarcely o hope Of it, termination was
entertained, Iute grew this last season
to height gilmore than six feet, tbe
probability that 1t would flourish lnxu-
siantly In the States bordering On tho
gulf Strengthens into semblsnce Of
ocrtainty.ii,e
The repetition which seeks to imprsss
upon the public mind the Importance Of
this new industry needs no apology.
Till reitsration incites action, Il cannot
be,too frequently repeated that amopp
all the productions Of India, int ranks
fourth in Importance. The annual value
Of the Indian jute crop cannot be lana
than s1oo,ooo,ooo Nothing is 20 yital
to the prosperity Of the South a. . d.
versifcation Of it's industries. The ex-
perience of India, where such and encr-
nous productive value has been doyel-
oped, chiefly in the last quarter Of
century, seems to justify tho assumption
that the naturalization Of iute in the
South Would enrich that region with =
yearly income Of scores Of millions.
The hesitancy of the Southern States 70
avail themselves Of so golden an oppor~
tunity is amazing.
Not doubt Of tho easy practicabilitv
OF Introducing jute into this countrr
fingers in my own mind. All that ia now
necessary TO the certain success Of the
undertaking IL the invention uf o cheap
and rapid means Of disintregating the
fibre. It is indeed astonishing that the
inventive genius Of our countrynsn
does not address itself to the solution Of
q problem that promises such rich re.
wards to success. Possibly the desired
machine has been already invented.
There are now, in this country, four
methods Of disengaging the fbfs. sp,ei-
mems prepared by three Of these pro-
cesses have been sent to me.
In each case the fibre was white, I'm.
broken and apparently uninjured BY its
No one Of these methods
resorts to the old system Of disinteers.
CATION by water. All Of the processes
Ire mechanical or chemical. II Is claira-
ID that the fibre disengaged by thes.
appliances can in two Or three days from
The time Of cutting be ready for the
Dom. But if thsee inventions prove de.
'ective, either in economy OF rapidity Of
'perationy then American ingenuity must
ievise some other means for edectins
he object. Assuredly, where the priae
# success is IN opnlence that would
atisfy ''the dreams of ayarice," the
american inventor will not allow him.
elf to be baffied by superable Difficult.
les. In the preparation Of the fbre.
'othing but chemical or mechanical
'gencies can successfully compete with
he cheap manual labor Of India and
~ e