Griff Van Meter, age 13, of Austin, Texas, for his question:

WHERE DO WE GET JUTE?

Jute is a fiber of either of two species of woody herbs. The plants are cultivated in tropical countries throughout the world. Most cultivated jute is grown in alluvial soils of the river valleys of India.

The plants are annuals with sparsely branching stems, often growing as tall as 14 feet. The herb is planted, cultivated and within four to five months of planting, it is harvested by hand.

At harvest, jute roots and foliage are removed from the plants. The stems, tied in bunches, are then soaked in water (retied) for two to three weeks. At the end of the ratting process, the fibers are easily separable from most of the remaining stem tissue.

While still in water, the stems are pounded with wooden mallets. They are then rinsed, wrung thoroughly to remove any remaining non-fibrous material, and hung up to dry.

The dried fibers are yellowish white, soft and lustrous. Jute is used in the manufacture of low grade twine, burlap and cheap varieties of paper.