NATURAL INDIGO 69 



the German product, though indigo cake has no sale in the 

 Chinese market. It is obvious that Indian indigo must be 

 prepared as paste if this market is to be captured. With this 

 end in view the production of 20 per cent, paste in drums has 

 already received attention in India. Instead of pressing 

 thoroughly the mal is analysed and diluted if necessary. It 

 is then sterihsed by steam heating in drums hermetically 

 sealed. Over 27,000 tons of 20 per cent, paste were imported 

 from Germany into China and Japan in 191 3. Arrangements 

 are also being made to grind cake indigo to a standard 20 per 

 cent, paste and send it out in a sterilised form. 



Economic Considerations. — Before the war natural indigo 

 was rapidly being displaced by synthetic. It may reasonably 

 be asked why this process should not continue now that the 

 artificial war restrictions are removed. Many believe that the 

 displacement will progress to complete extinction of the natural 

 product, but the price of coal, raw materials, and of labour, 

 now prevailing are such as to give natural indigo a good chance 

 of success as a paying concern for many years to come. This 

 success will largely depend upon the capture of the large 

 Chinese and Japanese markets, and upon the retention of the 

 Indian market. In comparison with these the consumption 

 in Great Britain and the United States is small. 



Before the war synthetic indigo was sold in Great Britain 

 at ^d. per lb. for 20 per cent, paste, equivalent to 60 per cent, 

 cake at 25. a lb. ; with good land, such as that of the Assam 

 Indigo Estates, this price could be undersold by natural indigo ; 

 but even with exhausted lands which require manuring with 

 superphosphate or sannai, or both, it is quite probable that 

 indigo will continue to be grown, especially on account of its 

 value in crop rotation as a leguminous plant and the value of 

 the sect as a manure. The development of the tobacco industry 

 in Behar was rendered possible by the use of heavy dressings 

 of indigo-seet, 300-400 maunds per acre. After this treatment 

 land which ordinarily would fetch only Rs. 20 per acre could 

 be let out to the ryot at Rs. 120 per acre. This kept the 

 indigo industry alive in Behar. Whether indigo is retained or 

 not may be largely determined in certain districts by whether 

 it is more profitable for the planter to continue to do so or 

 to turn his attention to sugar production. If indigo is left 

 out of the rotation some other leguminous plant will have to 

 be grown instead, or large sums expended on nitrogenous 

 manures. 



Taking into account the savings effected by more efficient 

 control of the mahai and by better manurial and cultural 

 conditions, it appears highly probable that natural indigo 

 will be able to compete successfully for a share of the 

 market. 



