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THE JUTE INDUSTRY
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(Book List)]
PITMAN'S COMMON COMMODITIES AND INDUSTRIES SERIES
THE JUTE INDUSTRY
FROM SEED TO FINISHED CLOTH
BY T. WOODHOUSE
HEAD OF THE WEAVING AND DESIGNING DEPARTMENT, DUNDEE
TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND SCHOOL OF ART
FORMERLY MANAGER MESSRS. WALTON & CO., LINEN MANUFACTURERS,
BLEACHERS AND FINISHERS, KNARESBOROUGH.
AUTHOR OF "THE FINISHING OF JUTE AND LINEN FABRICS,"
"HEALDS AND REEDS FOR WEAVING: SETTS AND PORTERS,"
JOINT AUTHOR OF
"JUTE AND LINEN WEAVING MECHANISM,"
"TEXTILE DESIGN: PURE AND APPLIED,"
"JUTE AND JUTE SPINNING,"
"CORDAGE AND CORDAGE HEMP AND FIBRES,"
"TEXTILE MATHEMATICS,"
"TEXTILE DRAWING," ETC.,
AND
P. KILGOUR
HEAD OF THE SPINNING DEPARTMENT,
DUNDEE TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND SCHOOL OF ART
FORMERLY MANAGER BELFAST ROPE WORKS.
JOINT AUTHOR OF
"JUTE AND JUTE SPINNING,"
"CORDAGE AND CORDAGE HEMP AND FIBRES," ETC.
1921
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PREFACE
The sub-title of this little volume indicates that practically
all the processes involved in the cultivation of jute plants,
the extraction of the fibre, and the transformation of the fibre
into useful commodities, have been considered. In addition, every
important branch of this wide industry is liberally illustrated,
and the description, although not severely technical, is
sufficiently so to enable students, or those with no previous
knowledge of the subject, to follow the operations intelligently,
and to become more or less acquainted with the general routine
of jute manufacture. As a matter of fact, the work forms a medium
of study for textile students, and a suitable introduction to the
more detailed literature by the authors on these textile subjects.
T. WOODHOUSE.
P. KILGOUR.
March, 1921.
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CONTENTS
CHAP.
PREFACE
I. INTRODUCTORY
II. CULTIVATION
III. RETTING
IV. ASSORTING AND BALING JUTE FIBRE.
V. MILL OPERATIONS
VI. BATCHING
VII. CARDING
VIII. DRAWING AND DRAWING FRAMES
IX. THE ROVING FRAME
X. SPINNING
XI. TWISTING AND REELING.
XII. WINDING: ROLLS AND COPS
XIII. WARPING, BEAMING AND DRESSING.
XIV. TYING-ON, DRAWING-IN AND WEAVING
XV. FINISHING
INDEX
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ILLUSTRATIONS
FIG.
1. NATIVES PLOUGHING THE GROUND
2. BREAKING UP THE SOIL OR "LADDERING"
3. PHOTOMICROGRAPHS OF CROSS-SECTIONS OF A JUTE PLANT
4. NATIVES CARRYING SMALL BALES OF JUTE FIBRE
FROM BOAT TO PRESS-HOUSE
5. NATIVES BAILING JUTE FIBRE IN A
WATSON-FAWCETT CYCLONE PRESS
6. VESSEL LADEN WITH JUTE AT QUAY-SIDE
ADJOINING JUTE SEEDS IN DUNDEE HARBOUR
7. HARBOUR PORTERS REMOVING BALES OF JUTE
FROM VESSEL SHOWN IN FIG. 6
8. BALE OPENER (MESSRS. URQUHART, LINDSAY & CO., LTD.)
9. BALE OPENER (MESSRS. CHARLES PARKER, SONS & CO., LTD)
10. HAND-BATCHING DEPARTMENT WITH UNPREPARED
AND PREPARED FIBRE
11. SOFTENING MACHINE WITHOUT BATCHING APPARATUS
12. BATCHING APPARATUS
13. SOFTENING MACHINE WITH BATCHING APPARATUS
14. MODERN BREAKER CARD
15. FINISHER CARD WITH DRAWING HEAD
16. WASTE TEAZER
17. PUSH-BAR DRAWING FRAME
18. ROVING FRAME
19. FAIRBAIRN'S ROVING FRAME IN WORK
20. AN INDIAN SPINNING FLAT
21. A LINE OF SPINNING FRAMES
22. BOBBIN WINDING MACHINE (FROM HANKS)
23. ROLL WINDER FOR LARGE ROLLS
24. ROLL WINDING MACHINE (FROM HANKS)
25. COP WINDING MACHINE (MESSRS. DOUGLAS FRASER & SONS, LTD.)
26. COP WINDING MACHINE (MESSRS URQUHART, LINDSAY & CO., LTD.)
27. A ROW OF MODERN WARPING MILLS.
28. POWER CHAIN OR WARP LINKING MACHINE
29. WINDING-ON OR DRY BEAMING MACHINE
30. A MODERN YARN--DRESSING MACHINE WITH SIX STEAM-HEATED CYLINDERS
31. DRESSING MACHINE FOR PREPARING TWO WARPS SIMULTANEOUSLY
32, SIX DISTINCT KINDS OF TYPICAL JUTE FABRICS
33. POINT-PAPER DESIGNS SHOWING WEAVES FOR VARIOUS CLOTHS.
34. DIAGRAMMATIC VIEWS OF THE STRUCTURE OF PLAIN CLOTH
35. WEAVING SHED WITH BELT-DRIVEN LOOMS.
36. LOOMS DRIVEN WITH INDIVIDUAL MOTORS
37. BOBBY LOOM
38. BRUSSELS AND WILTON CARPET LOOM
39. THE OLD WAY
40. THE NEW WAY
41. CROPPING MACHINE AT WORK
42. DOUBLE CROPPING MACHINE
43. DAMPING MACHINE
44. CALENDER
45. HYDRAULIC MANGLE
46. FOLDING, LAPPING OR PLEATING MACHINE
47. CRISPING, CREASING OR RIGGING MACHINE
48, SEMI-MECHANICAL BAG OR SACK CUTTING MACHINE
49. OVERHEAD (LAING) SACK SEWING MACHINE.
50. SACK PRINTING MACHINE.
THE JUTE INDUSTRY
FROM SEED TO FINISHED CLOTH
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY
The five main fibres used for ordinary textile purposes are cotton,
flax, jute, silk and wool; in this group jute has been considered in
general as being of the least value, not only in regard to price,
but also in regard to utility. It is only under phenomenal
conditions which arise from a great upheaval such as that which took
place during the world's great war from 1914 onwards that, from a
commercial point of view, the extreme importance of the jute fibre
and its products are fully realized. Millions of sand bags were made
from the year 1914 to the year 1918 solely for military purposes,
while huge quantities of jute cloth were utilized as the covering
material for food stuffs of various kinds, thus liberating the other
textile fibres and cloth for equally important purposes. It is on
record that in one short period of fourteen days, 150,000,000
sand-bags were collected, packed and despatched from Dundee to be
used as protective elements in various ways and seats of conflict.
A glance into the records of the textile industries will reveal the
fact that the jute fibre was practically unknown in these islands a
hundred years ago. Unsuccessful attempts were certainly made to
import the fibre into Great Britain in the latter part of the 18th
century, and it has been used in India for centuries in the making
of cord, twine and coarse fabrics, because the fibre is indigenous
to that country. And since all the manufacturing methods there, for
a considerable time were manual ones, the industry--if such it could
be called--moved along slowly, providing employment only for the
needs of a small section of the community on the Eastern shores.
The first small imports of jute fibre were due to the instigation of
Dr. Roxburgh and the East India Company, but it was only after
repeated requests that any attempt was made to utilize the samples
of jute for practical experiments The fibre was so unlike any of the
existing staples that those interested in textiles were not anxious
to experiment with it, but ultimately they were persuaded to do so;
these persistent requests for trials, and the interest which was
finally aroused, formed the nucleus of the existing important jute
industry.
Apart from the above-mentioned efforts, the introduction of the jute
fibre into Great Britain was delayed until 1822, when the first
small consignment reached Dundee--now the Western home of the jute
industry. This quantity was imported into this country with the
special object of having it treated by mechanical means, much in the
same way as flax fibre was being treated. At this period Dundee was
a comparatively important textile centre in regard to the spinning
and weaving of flax and hemp; it was, in consequence, only natural
that the longer, but otherwise apparently similar and coarser, jute
fibre should be submitted to the machinery in vogue for the
preparation and spinning of flax and hemp. When we say similar, we
mean in general appearance; it is now well-known that there is a
considerable difference between jute fibre and those of hemp and flax,
and hence the modifications in preparation which had ultimately to
be introduced to enable the jute fibre to be successfully treated.
These modifications shall be discussed at a later stage.
It might be stated that while only 368 cwt. of jute fibre was
reported as being shipped from Calcutta to this country in 1828, the
imports gradually increased as time passed on. The yarns which were
made from the fibre were heavier or thicker than those in demand for
the usual types of cloth, and it was desirable that other types of
cloth should be introduced so that these yarns could be utilized.
About the year 1838, representatives of the Dutch Government placed
comparatively large orders with the manufacturers for jute bags to
be used for carrying the crop of coffee beans from their West Indian
possessions. The subsequent rapid growth of the industry, and the
demand for newer types of cloth, are perhaps due more to the above
fortunate experiment than to any other circumstance.
By the year or season 1850-51, the British imports of jute fibre had
increased to over 28,000 tons, and they reached 46,000 tons in the
season 1860-61. Attention meanwhile had been directed to the
possibility of manufacturing jute goods by machinery in India--the
seat of the cultivation and growth of the fibre. At least such a
probability was anticipated, for in the year 1858 a small
consignment of machinery was despatched to Calcutta, and an attempt
made to produce the gunny bags which were typical of the Indian
native industry.
The great difference between the more or less unorganized hand
labour and the essential organization of modern mills and factories
soon became apparent, for in the first place it was difficult to
induce the natives to remain inside the works during the period of
training, and equally difficult to keep the trained operatives
constantly employed. Monetary affairs induced them to leave the
mills and factories for their more usual mode of living in the
country.
In the face of these difficulties, however, the industry grew in
India as well as in Dundee. For several years before the war, the
quantity of raw jute fibre brought to Dundee and other British ports
amounted to 200,000 tons. During the same period preceding the war,
nearly 1,000,000 tons were exported to various countries, while the
Indian annual consumption--due jointly to the home industry and the
mills in the vicinity of Calcutta--reached the same huge total of
one million tons.
The growth of the jute industry in several parts of the world, and
consequently its gradually increasing importance in regard to the
production of yarns and cloth for various purposes, enables it to be
ranked as one of the important industries in the textile group, and
one which may perhaps attain a much more important position in the
near future amongst our national manufacturing processes. As a
matter of fact, at the present time, huge extensions are
contemplated and actually taking place in India.