Hibiscus cannabinus, or Dekhani hemp, is grown during the rainy season for local requirements, aa much for its edible leaves as for its fibre. It is an annual of from 3 to 3i months' duration, at the end of which time it is fit to be plucked up for the steeping process, necessary for the extraction of the fibre. It is of good colour, from 7 to 9 feet long, fine to the touch, and with a silky gloss. The best selected fibre would, for rope and cordage, equal in appearance that made from Manilla hemp, so much in request for yachting purposes ; the second and third Irinds would comein for coarser descrip tions of the above manufactures ; while the refuse, includ ing cuttings, rejections, and the root-ends, would find a ready market among the papermakers. The fibre is known in Bengal as 3Iesta pat or Koshta, and Walniti sunn ; is considered equal to sunn hemp ; is exported in small quantities, and manufactured into coarse sacking or gunny, and into ropes, twine, and nets ; and latterly, in lilysore, into a superior, closely woven matting, which looks and wears well. Generally the crop is grown only as a secondary consideration in drills among the ragi in Mysore, and similarly among the jowari in the Northern Cirears, though in and about Rajamundry it is said to be in some instances cultivated as a special crop by itself.
The plants are ordinarily cut after the formation of the seed, and left to dry in the sun for a day or two, when they aro steeped in stagnant water, till the bark is sufficiently rotted to allow of the easy extraction of the fibre, which is sun-dried for use or export. The ordinary process is to beat the softened bark on a stone, by which unequal pounding much of it adheres to the fibre, which is further discoloured by careless sun-drying. Long steeping in stagnant water is another blot in its prepamtion. It should be cut just as it is in flower, and left in swathes or bundles for from twenty-four to thirty-six hours to dry partially 'in the sun, when they should bo steeped in running water just aufficiently long to admit of the ready separation of the fibre, which should be thoroughly washed and dried under shade, tut exposure to the sun's raps Call/fla it to deteriorate in colour, touch, and strength, and London brokers judge much by sight and touch. The time that the bundles should remain immersed has to be regulated by those skilled in the matter, with great judgment and frequent inspections, for if the process of fermentation is carried even a little too far, the fibre is spoiled.
tinder the name of Poondi, it is cultivated exten sively at Nuddea, Hoogly, Farridpur, Baluirganj, and elsewhere, as a variety of jute, and is called bastard jute, but is as fit for papermakmg a, true jute. It is sold as and along with jute, and is employed in Bengal for all the purposes of jute. l'aper i, largely made from it at Dacca, 3Iymensing, Dinajpur, and Noak hally, where it is prepared by being boiled with lime. Hibiscus sabdariffu yields a similar fibre, also called meatapat or puhschi. The Roselle is grown at l'uri and Bhagulpur, and the Bendikai largely at Ifoogly, and 24 Parganas, Nuddea, Murshidabad, Koch-Minx, and Puri, and less so in many other districts, the fibre being exported as jute. In 'Travancore the I libiscus tiliacouti is cultivated, but it is not an annual, and therefore yields a less remunerative crop. The Hibiscus plants vrill continue to be chiefly confined to the agri cultuml population of its native places. IL furcatne of the Ghats and Bengal yielda abunds.nce of strong white tlaxy fibres, but, being very prickly, is unfit for handling. The Juucacece or rush tribe, Juncus Indicus and others, are employed for making the bottoms of chairs and mats. J. effusus of Japan is cultivated to be made into floor mats. In China a species of Juncius is a great crop. Ita stems are woven into beautiful mats, used by the natives for sleeping upon, for covering the floors of roorns, and for many other useful purposes. This is
cultivated in water, somewhat liko the rice-plant, and is therefore always planted in the lowest parts of the valleys ; the harvest of this crop fa in the beginning of July, and hundreds of the natives are then employed in drying it. The river's banks, uncultivated land, the dry gravelly bed of the river, and every other available spot, is taken up with thia operation. At grey dawn of morning the sheaves or bundles are taken out of tem porary sheds, erected for the purpose of keeping off the rain and dew, and shaken thinly over tho surface of the ground. In the afternoon, before the sun has sunk very low in the horizon, it is gathered up again into sheaves, and placed under cover for the night. And so the process of winnowing goes on day by day until the whole of the moisture is dried out of the reeds. They are then bound up firmly in round bundles, and either sold in the markets of the country, or taken to Ningpo and other towns where the manufacture of mats is carried on, on a large settle.
The true Jute of Indian commerce is the fibres of Corchorus capsularis and C. olitorius. It has been an export from India to Great Britain ainco the year 1833, but is now exported to the extent of about 300,000 tons, value up to nearly four millions sterling. Between 1874-75 and 1879-80, the value of ail the exports of mw jute, gunny bags, gunny cloths, rope and twine, was 1874-75, Its. 3,48,55,2'21 1877-78, . Its. 4,,92,407 1875-76, . 3,29,45,209 1878-79, . 4,89,88,604 1876-77, . . 3,35,61,212 1879-80, . 5,56,53,944 The sowing is in April and May, and in July and August the plants aro from 3 to 12 feet high, are cut dovru, made into bundles, which are placed in shallow water. When the bark separates, and the stalk and fibres become softened, they are taken up and untied ; they are then broken off two feet from the bottom, the bark is held in both hands, and the stalk removed. The fibres are then dried in the sun, and are cleaned for the market. They are soft and silky, and much care is needed during the steeping to prevent undue decomposition. All the sacknig of India is made from it, and it is largely ex ported from Bengal to the Dutch and Spanish posses IliOLIB in Asia, to America and to Australia. The raw fibre of the jute, with a little wool, has been manu factured into good, useful, and substantial carpeting, which can be sold at the very moderate price of Sid. a yard. At an industrial exhibition held at Dundee, there was at one end of a ease the harsh, woody-looking juto stalks, and through each stage, of fibro to yarn and fine thread ; in a. second case were arranged coarse and fine gunny bags, packing cloths, coarse and fine towelling, different descriptions of plain and coloured padding,s, pocketings and linings, crumb and other cloths, ladies' chignons, and brilliant-looking rugs and carpets, that for design and colour were said not to compare unfavour ably with those made from wool. The American imports of Goni (gunny) sacking and the raw material have decreased since they have practically ascertained their ability to raise the plant in the southern districts, which, under their more careful culture, will of course improve. In China the staple summer crops are those which yield textile fibres. Jute is grown in China to a very large extent, and is-used in the manufacture of sacks and bags for holding rice and other grains. It is stated that the celebrated China hemp, called Lookina or green hemp, which, according to Messrs. Jardine Skinner & Co., is grown in the Hankow districts for conversion into grass-clotla, is nothing but jute, of which plant they say the description and particulars exactly compare with the Chinese hemp, and that, in addition to its culture, the Chinese import it.