442 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[November i, 1882. 



natives of Hindustan, and sucli as had jiroduced the "lu- 

 dicum" known by the Romans and the Greeks, and before 

 them by the Egyptians, witness the l»Kxe wrappers of the 

 mummies. From this same stock had also been derived 

 the plants which the Spaniards found advantageous to 

 introduce into Central America, notwithstanding the presence 

 there of a biennial indigenous indigo plant, producing indigo 

 of a, fairqnality, bnfc yielding only half the quantity which 

 i.s given by Llie cultivated specitjs. At that time the cultiv- 

 ation of indigo was carried on by the Portuguese in the 

 north of Brazil, also on a small scale by the European 

 planters of Guiana and the AVest Indies, but it was very 

 extensive in all the Spanish colonies of Oentral America, 

 laying between the equator and the 20th degree of north 

 latitude. A race for competition between the American 

 and the East Indian planters, immediately ensued; the 

 great facilities and cheapness of labour in India, the care 

 brought into the process of manufacture, as well as the 

 energy of the English and French planters, (a great part 

 of the factories in Lower Bengal was at one time in 

 the hands of Frenchmen or French Creoles from the 

 Mauritius) gave them au immense advantage over their 

 antagonists, and after the declaration of the independence 

 of the Spanish colonies, and the disturbances that followed, 

 the production of indigo from America fell considerably, 

 and iu many provinces ceased entirely. At present the 

 yearly production cannot be calculated to reach above 

 15,000 maunds, and nearly the whole of that quantity 

 comes from the States of Guatemala and San Salvador. 

 In Java under the monopoly system of the Dutch, the 

 indigo industry is kept under limits, probably because the 

 Governors at Buiteuzorg find it pays them better that 

 other crops should be cultivated. The average yearly out- 

 turn is not above 20.000 maunds. In India setting aside 

 the Bladras Presidency, where a limited cultivation is still 

 carried on by natives intheOuddapah and adjoining districts, 

 and by Europeans in the northern part of the presidency 

 towards Bimlipatara and part of Ganjam, the whole of the 

 industry is carried on in the Bengal Presidency, between 

 the 23*^ and 27^ of north latitude, and iu the vicinity of 

 the river Ganges and its tributaries. 



The indigo industry of India, notwithstanding the large 

 capital at stake is, for the greater number of plantei's after 

 all, but a precarious one. With the exception of a few 

 favored concerns that have abundance of land, held at 

 cheap rates for the cultivation of the plant, and that are 

 besides situated in thickly populated districts, the greatest 

 part of the factories suffer from the want of the one 

 or the other. The high rates of interest charged, the 

 commissions to agents and brokers, swallow but too often 

 all their profits. This may not be a bright picture, yet, 

 it is, but too correct. The* American production as stated 

 before, is almost entirely reduced to that of the States 

 of San Salvador and Guatemala, where it attains about 

 15,000 maunds yearly. Now, if notwithstanding the endemic 

 state of revolution in which these States Jiave existed 

 for the last fifty years, the iudigo industry retains there, 

 still a certain position, it is not owing to any greater 

 degree of energy of the people, nor to more facilities 

 for labour, nor to the abundance of capital; on the con- 

 trary, the people are wanting in the commercial energy 

 which remains powerful under English rule ; labour is very 

 scarce aed expensive, as proved in the case of the new 

 Panama Canal scheme, and last of all, the republics of 

 San Salvador and Guatemala are more or less bankrupts, 

 and have been in that st^te for years, so that capital 

 cannot be said to bo plentiful — no, none of the above 

 considerations have any force, it is simply because the 

 plant introduced by the Spaniards from the East, has 

 under the influence of soil and climate, acquired certain 

 advantages and qualities which the mother stock does 

 not possess. It is stated by travellers and colonists, and 

 it is recorded from reliable commercial sources, tbat the 

 produce of an area of indigo in Central America, is greatly 

 In excess of what is obtained in any other country iu 

 the world. The production is estimated at from 60 lb. 

 to 65 lb. per acre, and this is from 250 to 300 per cent 

 more than the produce qf indigo land in Tirhoot or the 

 Benares districts, where the yield is the largest in India. 



If added to this, it is noted that the indigo plant in 

 Central America will bear during three years, and give 

 two cuttings each year, altogether six cuttings, whilst the 



plant in India, gives at best two cuttings* only, the secret 

 is at once obtaiued of the vitahty of the indigo industry 

 in San Salvador and Guatemala. 



Looking at the map of India, we see at once that the 

 country which resembles most the configuration of Central 

 America, ia the southern part of the Tenasserim provinces 

 in British Burmah — situated between the 10 ^ and 15 "^ of 

 north latitude, as the indigo districts of Central America 

 are ; it is like those districts also, between two seas, the 

 gulf of Bengal and the gulf of Siam takiug the place 

 of the Carribean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, its chain of 

 mountains divide the country, and the drainage is effected 

 in the same way. Last, it possesses a similar climate, the 

 moist equable temperature of Central America. If new 

 fi.elds had to be searched for the extension of the indigo 

 industry in India, the most likely place of success vpould 

 probably be the country indicated. The great disadvantage 

 would be the want of labor, which would have to be 

 imported, and it is likely in that case, that Chinese laboiu-, 

 easily procurable within a short distance, (Penaug or Singa- 

 pore) would prove the clieapest in the end. It woidd 

 certainly not be dearer than Central American labour. 

 — Imliyo Flanters' Gazette. 



WHITE ANTS. 



The following interesting information regarding these 

 industrious but destructive animals is taken from the 

 Asian, and is condensed from two letters from ditfereut 

 sources which appeared in that journal ; — 



For a year or two I have been watching the effects 

 of white ants on our forests. I was first particularly struck 

 with their work two hot seasons ago. The ground was 

 thickly strewn with dry leaves, and 1 was getting nervous 

 about fire conservancy, when we had a fall of rain ; a 

 few days after the rain by far the greater proportion 

 of the dry leaves had gone. The natives told me that 

 the white ants had eaten them, so I examined the ground 

 then, and a few times since after the rain, and now I 

 believe that what I was told is correct, and I begin in 

 many ways to consider that white ants are very useful 

 to foresters. Jlr. Darwin's very excellent book on worms 

 shows the vast amount of cultivation these small animals 

 can accomplish. Worms in certain places throw up large 

 castings in this country, but up to the present time I have 

 only observed them iu low-lying moist ground. In our 

 forests I have seen that white ants do more than any 

 other insects in removing dead leaves, twigs, wood of all 

 sizes, and grass. As far as I know, the food of white 

 ants must be dead before they can eat it. They are 

 often found eating the bark of trees, and our Indian miUis 

 are very careful to brush off their galleries, but if left 

 alone I don't think they would do any harm. I have 

 under my charge some forests that have not been burnt 

 for six years, and one for seven years. I notice that in 

 these forests the white ant is every^vhere, but I cannot 

 as yet discover any damage that he is doing. The young 

 Sal that were annually burnt have now strong healthy 

 shoots, iu some instances even 25 feet or more high. The 

 old stem of some is still plainly seen, and I notice that 

 it is only on the lower part of the tree that the white 

 ant finds work to do; the shoots at the top of the old 

 stem arc never touched. On many other trees I have 

 brushed otf the galleries of the white ant, and seen 

 a new green healthy bark forming underneath. Also in 

 many instances I haye seen a healthy vigorous tree growing 

 untouched in a white ant hill, apparently doing uncommonly 

 well in that position.* Many of the true ants remove 

 dead vegetable matter I know, and also many other insects. 

 The white ant is not an ant, as, no doubt, many of your 

 readers already know ; it belongs to the family of 

 "Neuropt-:ra,'' the type of which order are the Dragon 

 Flies. Tln' true ants belong to the family of " Hymenoptera," 

 and in this family are included also the bees and wasps. 

 In my opinion the white ant does wonders in keeping 

 the surface soil of oxu- Indian forests in a healthy state. 

 Every leaf, every dry stalk of grass, and every twig are 



* It is notably so with the cinnamon bushes in Ceylon 

 which flourish in pyramids of earth inhabited by the termites. 

 But it is now beyond doubt that they destroy the living 

 tissues of tea in India xnul of cocoa (cacao) in Ceylon. — 'Ejy^ 



