INSECTS 



NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC INDIGOE8 Economic 



chief markeN, almost ceased t<> import in HMH-5. This, it is believed, 

 was largely a consequence of " flit- differential taxation which t<> 

 troni April 1. I'.HI;; ;md imposed an extra tax. equal to 1'55 i Ib., 



on Indian indigo, which both Java plant indigo and German synthetic 

 tped, placing an insupportable burden on the trade; but now 

 that Indian indigo lias been treated on the most-favoured-nation basis by 

 the Con\ention with Japan, which came into force on March 15, 1905, 

 then- mar !>e some revival of the trade. German svnthetic indigo has, 

 however, now acquired such a dominant position, and its higher percentage 

 of (olouiinL r matter still retains for it such advantage by reason of the 

 duty being charged by weight, that India will find it difficult to recover 

 :omid " (Robertson, I.e. 29). The exports from India to Japan in 

 1906-7 were 1,800 cwt. [C/. Rept. Beng. Chamber of Cumm., 1903-4, 

 !<;:< 8.] 



Internal Trade. Turning now to the shares taken by the provinces Internal 

 of India. In 1885-6 the total exports were 132,495 cwt., of which the Trade, 



d share was 76,109 and the Madras 45,828. Ten years later (1895-6) 

 the total exports were 187,337, of which the Bengal share was 111,714 

 and the Madras 62,425 cwt, ; in 1903-4, 60,410, of which Bengal furnished 

 29,858 and Madras 24,414 cwt. ; in 1905-6, 31,186, of which Bengal sup- 

 plied 19,062 and Madras 7,756 cwt. ; and in 1906-7, 35,102, of which Bengal 

 contributed 19,309 and Madras 11,159 cwt. The exports across the land 

 frontier are not very important. In 1904-5 they came to 4,873 cwt., 

 valued at Rs. 4,70,203 ; in 1905-6 to 5,275 cwt., valued at Rs. 5,26,431 ; 

 and in 1906-7 to 3,518 cwt., valued at Rs. 3,47,341. The most important 

 receiving countries are Seistan and Dir, Swat and Bajaur. Formerly a 

 large trade was done in exporting indigo-dyed goods from India. The only 

 survival of this is the export of blue cloth from Pondicherry to French , 



11 i i Ti i Protectionist 



China a survival due, apparently, to the 1< rench protectionist enactments Enactment*. 

 in favour of her colonies. 



Imports. A startling peculiarity of the present phase of the Indian Imports. 

 traffic in indigo may be said to exist in the circumstance that a small supply 

 of the dye is annually drawn from the Straits, from the United Kingdom, 

 Belgium and Japan. There is no mention of synthentic indigo being 

 imported, and the small foreign supply may be to some extent returns of 

 Indian indigo. The imports in 1905-6 were 1,244 cwt., valued at 

 Rs. 1,12,243 ; and in 1906-7, 2,392 cwt. and Rs. 97,152. 



INSECTS (INSECTA) ; Fa. Br. Ind.; Hampson (Moths), i.-iv., 



, 



Bingham, Wasps and Bees (Hymenoptera), i.-ii. ; Distant, Bugs (Rhyn- * v *' 



chota), i. ; Watt, Products Derived from Animal Kingdom (Insects), 64-5 ; 

 Maxwell-Lefroy, Economic Entomology, in Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc., 

 xv., 432-44 ; also Locusts in India, in Agri. Journ. Ind., 1907, ii., pt. 

 iii., 238-45, tt. xiv-xx. 



With the exception of the silkworms, the bees, the cochineal, the lac and Economic Value. 

 the gall-forming insects, very few others can be regarded OB of economic value. 

 Unfortunately a very large number of insects force attention through the depre- 

 dations they effect on crops, stores of food, industrial materials, manufactures, 

 woodwork, etc. Maxwell-Lefroy has set forth in a lucid manner the difficulties 

 that beset the entomologist in India who may have entrusted to him the investiga- 

 tion and solution of the pests of the fields and forests or the discovery of beneficial Peste. 

 insects. The insects have to be identified and in many cases scientifically named, 

 then their life-histories wbrked out, before practical suggestions are possible. 

 Throughout the present publication the effort has been made to record the results 



