AMARANTUS 



Amaranth Pot-herb 



THE AMARANTH 



Bauxite. 



Caustic Soda. 



Electric 

 Decomposition. 



Manufactures. 



Aluminium 

 Ware. 



success as a source of iron. " It is difficult at present to fully estimate the 

 value of this discovery, as a deposit of laterite, which ordinarily would be re- 

 garded as small and of little consequence, contains enough alumina in some of 

 the instances examined to completely swamp the market of bauxite, of which 

 the world's total production is at present little more than 110,000 tons a year. 

 Without any disturbance of present prices, the aluminous laterites would hardly 

 pay, at the ordinary rate for first-class bauxites of 21 to 22 shillings a ton, to 

 mine for export to Europe and America, and they must consequently be utilised 

 for the extraction of alumina on the spot, either for export as such, or for the 

 manufacture of aluminium in the country. To prepare the alumina from the 

 bauxite (or laterite) would, according to the most recent processes, require the 

 use of caustic soda, which is not at present made in the country. But one of 

 the latest successful processes for the manufacture of caustic soda involves 

 the separation of chlorine (from which bleaching powder is prepared) by the 

 electrolytic decomposition of dilute brine, and as both caustic soda and bleaching 

 powder are now largely imported for use in paper-making, there would be a 

 market for both, apart from the requirements of alumina manufacture." 



Aluminium Manufactures. It is impossible to furnish actual statistical 

 returns of the extent to which this metal has been introduced as an Indian in- 

 dustrial material. Mr. Chatterton, Principal of the Madras School of Arts, 

 pioneered the new industry so very successfully that others were induced to 

 engage in the trade and finally the school withdrew in favour of private enter- 

 prise, viz. The Indian Aluminium Co. at Madras, which purchased the Govt. 

 Aluminium Dept. in the school. The Company employed 150 persons in 1901 

 and 356 in 1904. There are three other factories at Madras, but apparently of small 

 importance. The impetus due to Chatterton's success would seem, however, 

 to have given South India a hold on the aluminium trade that she is not likely 

 to forgo. The imports of aluminium-ware must also be very considerable 

 judging from the extent aluminium cooking-pots, water-bottles and other articles 

 of that nature are now met with throughout India. (See Corundum, p. 428.) 



D.E.P., AMARANTUS, Linn.; Fl. Br. Ind., iv., 718-22 ; De CandoUe, Orig. 



i., 208-16. Cult. Plants, 100-1 ; Bretschneider, Hist. Europ. Bot. Disc, in China, 



Amaranth. 179 ; AMARANTACE.E. 



There may be said to be two or perhaps three distinct groupsof amaranths 

 that are of economic value to the people of India. These are the species 

 cultivated in gardens and mainly if not exclusively as POT-HERBS : second 

 the wild species that are eaten as pot-herbs or MEDICINES : and third the 

 forms cultivated in fields and exclusively so as edible GRAINS. The last 

 mentioned are by far the most valuable and hence may be taken up in 

 greater detail than the others. But in passing it may be observed that the 

 Indian species of this genus seem to be sadly wanting careful study and 

 revision. The limitations of scientific and vernacular names here adopted 

 are given tentatively. Of the garden pot-herbs there are many varieties 

 or recognisable races under each botanical species. These may be indi- 

 cated as follows : 



Section A. Pot-herbs. 



Pot-herbs. ! * Slitntn, Linn., uar. oleraeetiH (sp Linn.), r a plant with small obtuse 



leaves cultivated mainly in sub-montane tracts. The leaves serve as a pot-herb 

 and the seed as a grain (Rec. Bot. Surv. Ind., i., 169). This may be only a 

 form of the following: 



2. A., ynngftifus, Linn. ; Agri. Ledg., 1904, No. 6, 63; Duthie and Fuller, 

 Field and Garden Crops, in'., 17-8, pi. Ixvii. ; lalsag, chaulaisdg, etc. The ver- 

 nacular names apply equally to the foregoing species. Roxburgh differentiated 

 A. gangrticitH proper from oieraceii#, poiyytmms and other forms mentioned 

 below as varieties, by the fact that it gave only one crop and was pulled and 

 sent to market with the roots. Some forms, such as A. bicoior are grown as 

 ornamental plants. Of the many varieties r<> Mreotof is used, in curries, Hriann 

 as a pot-herb, and oieraeenn (sp. Roxb.) as a substitute for asparagus. Then 

 there may be mentioned poiygamus (sp. Roxb, non Linn.) [cf. Long in Journ. 



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