ducted quite
satisfactorily with the aid of the usual safeguards under contract,
and guarantees regarding the properties of the fibre.

After these assorting operations are completed, the jute fibre is
made up into bundles or "bojahs" of 200 lbs. each, and two of these
200 lb. bundles are subsequently made up into a standard bale, the
weight of which is 400 lbs. This weight includes a permitted
quantity of binding rope, up to 6 lbs. in weight, while the
dimensions in the baling press of the 400 lb. bale are 4'1" X 1'6" X 1'
4".

[Illustration: FIG. 4 NATIVES CARRYING SMALL BALES OF JUTE FIBRE
FROM BOAT TO PRESS HOUSE]

Large quantities of the smaller and loosely-packed bales are
conveyed from the various places by boats to the baling houses or
press houses as they are termed. These are very large establishments,
and huge staffs of operatives are necessary to deal rapidly and
efficiently with the large number of bales. In Fig. 4 scores of
natives, superintended by a European, are seen carrying the smaller
bales on their heads from the river boat to the press house. It is,
of course, unnecessary to make the solid 400 lb. bales for Indian
consumption; this practice is usually observed only for jute which
is to be exported, and all such bales are weighed and measured at
the baling station by a Chamber of Commerce expert.

Most of the baling presses used in the press houses in the Calcutta
district are made in Liverpool, and are provided with the most
efficient type of pumps and mechanical parts. Fig. 5 illustrates one
of these huge presses with a number of natives in close proximity.
Two or three distinct operations are conducted simultaneously by
different groups of operatives, and ingenious mechanism is essential
for the successful prosecution of the work. Two such presses as that
illustrated in Fig. 5 are capable, under efficient administration, of
turning out 130 bales of 400 lbs. each in one hour. The fibre is
compressed into comparatively small bulk by hydraulic pressure equal
to 6,000 lbs. per square inch, and no packed bale must exceed in
cubical capacity 11 cubic feet after it leaves the press; it is
usual for freight purposes to reckon 5 bales or 55 cubic feet per ton.
(Now changed to 50 cubic feet.)

The jute bales are loaded either at the wharf or in the river from
barges into large steamers, many of which carry from 30,000 to
46,000 bales in one cargo to the European ports. One vessel brought
70,000 bal