fibre is cleaned and washed in the usual way.




CHAPTER IV. ASSORTING AND BALING JUTE FIBRE

The Indian raw jute trade is conducted under various conditions. The
method of marketing may be of such a nature that the farmers in some
districts may have to make a rough assortment of the fibre into a
number of qualities or grades, and these grades are well known in
the particular areas; on the other hand, the farmers may prefer to
sell the total yield of fibre at an overhead price per maund. A
maund is approximately equal to 8 lbs., and this quantity forms a
comparatively small bundle. In other cases, the fibre is made up into
what is known as a "drum"; this is a hand-packed bale of from 1 1/2
to 3 or 3 1/2 maunds; it is a very convenient size for transit in
India.

Practically one half of the total jute crop, of 9 to 10 million
bales of 400 lbs. each, is used in India, and the remaining half is
baled for export to the various parts of the world; a little over
one million bales are exported annually to Great Britain, the bulk
of this fibre comes to Dundee.

It is practically impossible for foreign purchasers to see the
material at the assorting stations, but the standardized method of
assorting and grading enables a purchaser to form a very good idea
of the quality of the fibre, and its suitability or otherwise for
special types of yarn and cloth. Thus, a form of selecting and