n who bring in the bales from the store take up a position
near the end of the delivery cloth; they remove the heads of jute as
the latter approach the end of the table, and then pass them to the
batchers, who split them. The most suitable size of pieces are 2-1/2
to 3 lbs. for a piece of 7 feet to 8 feet in length, but the size of
the pieces is regulated somewhat by the system of feeding which is
to be adopted at the breaker-card, as well as by the manager's
opinion of what will give the best overall result.

After the heads of jute have been split up into suitable smaller
pieces, they are placed in any convenient position for the batcher
or "striker-up" to deal with. If the reader could watch the above
operation of separating the heads of jute into suitable sizes, it
would perhaps be much easier to understand the process of
unravelling an apparently matted and crossed mass of fibre. As the
loosened head emerges from the bale-opener, Figs. 8 or 9, it is
placed over the operative's arm with the ends of the head hanging,
and by a sort of intuition acquired by great experience, she or he
grips the correct amount of fibre between the fingers, and by a
dexterous movement, and a simultaneous shake of the whole piece, the
handful just comes clear of the bulk and in much less time than it
takes to describe the operation.

As the pieces are thus detached from the bulk, they are laid on
stools or tables, or in stalls or carts, according to the method by
means of which the necessary amount of oil and water is to be added
for the essential process of lubrication; this lubrication enables
the fibre to work freely in the various machines.

CHAPTER VI. BATCHING

_Softening and Softening Machines_. Two distinct courses are
followed in the preparation of the jute fibre after it leaves the
bale opener, and before it is carded by the breaker card. These
courses are designated as--

1. Hand Batching.
2. Machine Batching.

In the former process, which is not largely practised, the pieces of
jute are neatly doubled, while imparting a slight twist, to
facilitate subsequent handling, and laid in layers in large carts
which can be wheeled from place to place; if this method is not
convenient, the pieces are doubled similarly and deposited in large
stalls such as those illustrated in Fig. 10.

On the completion of each layer, or sometimes two layers, the
necessary measured amount of oil is evenly sprayed by hand ove