The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-02-14
THE CLARION.
HOUSE. Farm AND GARDEN
Cultivation OF Jute.
Times-Democrat.l

liIneH-DtHOCTat.
The Times-Democrat has always
warmly urged the cultivation of jute
in this State. It isa plant, itshowed,
adapted and suited to this climate
and country, and particularly to the
rich bottom lands lying along the
Mississippi, in whose fertile soil it
will grow more luxuriantly, larger
and faster than anywhere else in the
known world. In behalf this crop,
it has been demonstrated that it
needs little capital to embark in it
and very little labor to cultivate,
and that it can be raised successfully
on those lands on the river subject
to overflow and now lying idle for
that reason. 1t is a short crop, re-
quiring only three months or less to
mature, and can be planted after
overflow, raised and harvested long
before the high water comes again.
Its cultivation would, moreover, help
to diversity our crops and would re-
lieve this section from the great bur-
den that necessarily results from a
devotion to a single crop.
There will never be any difficulty
in securing a market for jute--the
demand is always greater than the
supply. This country alone imports
between $4,000 and $4,000, 900
of iute annually, and this trade is
yearly growing; while in England,
the imports amount to the immense
figure Of S20,000,000. Here is an
inviting field open to us in which our
only dangerous rival is India, coun-
try we have little cause to be afraid Of.
If the United States, which has
overshadowed India in the produc-
ton Of cotton, in which it attempted
to rival us, cannot, with more in
telligent and better system of cult
walton, more fertile lands, better
labor and hundred other advan-
tages, produce better and more jute
than India, it will be strange, in
deed.
The meeting at jackson, Miss,
evidently took this view of the case,
for after mature consideration after
listening to elaborate and instructive
addresses on the subject of jute cul-
ture, it finally resolved that jute was
just the crop Mississippi was looking
for, and committee was appointed
to procure seed from the United
States Commissioner Of Agriculture
at Washington, or, if that was i'm.
possible, from the Board Of Immi-
grafton and Agriculture, in time to
plant it by April, when it is proposed
to place large acreage in jute. A
resolution was also adopted asking
Congress to allow the importation Of
this seed free of duty. A perman-
ent organization was perfected, and
other meetings will DO held from time
to time, and the attention of the far.
mers of the State turned toward this
inviting crop.
Our neighbors of Mississippi have
stolen somewhat ola march on Louisi-
ana in this matter There has been
great deal of talk in this State
about jute, and it has been planted
on several places the crops every
where yielding well. But to make
1t u complete success, some combined
action, such as the Mississippi far
mers have just taken, was necessary,
and here our people have been some
what backward. We have little
doubt but that many Louisianians
will now feel encouraged to expert
ment in iute, and will correspond
and cooperate with this Mississippi
Jute Association.
New Orleans must be benefited
by an agricultural movement of this
kind. We have a jute factory cstab-
lished here which needs proper
supply of the raw material raised at
home instead of being compelled to
import it. If it can be produced
here, it will benefit the farmers who
raise it, and give work to hundreds
of operatives in this city. The two
crops of jute and cotton go naturally
together, and hand in hand, the one
being the adjunct Of the other and
necessary for baling it. New Orleans,
as the centre of the cotton district,
should supply all the cotton bagging
needed by the South, and SO i: viii
be able to do if Louisiana and Mis-.
sissippi take the advice of Gen.
Stephen ID. Lee, and others and