INDIAN SILKS 



Into Bombay 

 and Burma. 



SOLANUM 



MBLONQBNA 



Egg-plant 



importing centre is Bombay, which takes almost three-fourths, the 

 balance going chiefly to Burma. Reviewing the trade returns for 1904-5, 

 Robertson (Rev. Trade of Ind., 1904-5, 17) says : "Piece goods of pure 

 silk are chiefly of Chinese and Japanese make, the latter predominating, 

 and jointly (including re-exports from the Straits Settlements) they 

 amounted to 16-3 million yards, valued at 102 lakhs, out of a total of 

 18*9 million yards, valued at 124| lakhs. The value of the silk goods 

 mixed with other materials, 43-8 lakhs, is 30 per cent, greater than in 

 1903-4. There is also an advance of 25-8 per cent, in ' other sorts,' of 

 which the value rose by 51'7 per cent, to 42-9 lakhs. This includes 

 warp and yarn of Italian silk imported into Bombay for hand-weaving." 

 The expansion of the imports in mixed silk and other textiles and in 

 thread, warp and yarn, is therefore a highly significant feature of the 

 modern silk traffic that gives a useful hint as to the demands of the 

 hand-loom workers. 



Re-exports. Have been increasing in recent years, and in 1904-5 

 were not far behind the exports in value. The figures for the period 

 discussed were as follows : 1900-1, Rs. 5,33,749 ; 1901-2, Rs. 6,72,841 ; 

 1902-3, Rs. 7,33,519 ; 1903-4, Rs. 6,98,160 ; 1904-5, Rs. 6,01,942 ; 

 1905-6, Rs. 6,47,797 ; and 1906-7, Rs. 6,77,683. Bombay exports practi- 

 cally the whole amount, and the chief markets for these re-exported goods 

 appear to be Natal, Arabia, British East Africa, Cape Colony and Persia. 

 Trans-frontier Trade. Turning from the foreign to the Trans-frontier 

 land trade, the returns may similarly be indicated under exports and 

 imports of raw and of manufactured silks. OP RAW. The exports 

 during recent years have been as follows : 1904-5, 189 cwt., valued at 

 Rs. 85,233 ; 1905-6, 190 cwt., valued at Rs. 93,586 ; 1906-7, 94 cwt., 

 valued at Rs. 51,175. The chief markets are the South Shan States, 

 Bhutan and North-East Afghanistan. The imports during the same period 

 have been : 1904-5, 2,960 cwt., valued at Rs. 19,98,484 ; 1905-6, 4,121 

 cwt., valued at Rs. 29,37,592 ; 1906-7, 4,165 cwt., valued at Rs. 30,88,935. 

 Kashmir and Western China supply practically the whole amount. OP 

 MANUFACTURES. The following are the returns of re-exported silk 

 goods : 1904-5, 667 cwt., valued at Rs. 8,97,079 ; 1905-6, 710 cwt., 

 valued at Rs. 8,11,581 ; 1906-7, 969 cwt., valued at Rs. 9,36,406. The 

 chief markets are the South Shan States, North Siam, North Shan States, 

 South Siam and Tibet. The imports for the same period were : 1904-5, 

 196 cwt., valued at Rs. 4,72,833 ; 1905-6, 445 cwt., valued at Rs. 7,33,319 ; 

 1906-7, 250 cwt., valued at Rs. 5,01,206. The largest quantities come 

 from North and South Siam and the South Shan States. 



D.E.P., SOLANUM, Linn. ; Fl. Br. Ind., iv., 229-37 ; Prain, Beng. Plants, 



vi., pt. iii., 1903, ii., 743-7 ; SOLANACEJE. A genus of shrubs, herbs or small trees, 

 256-74. comprising numerous species of economic importance, such as the 

 brinjal and the potato. 



Hand-weaving. 



Re-exports. 



From Bombay. 



Trans- 

 frontier. 



Prom Kashmir. 



Egg-plant, 

 Brinjal. 



S. Melongena, Linn. The Egg-plant, Brinjal, baigan, bhanta, 

 brinjal, bartaku, mahoti hinpoli, wangan, vengan, vange, rigana, kuthirekai, 

 chiri vanga, badane kayi, badnikai, trong, khayan, etc. Introduced into 

 India and now extensively cultivated. De Candolle considers it is a 

 native of Asia (not America), and other botanists have viewed it as 

 Arabian. There are many very distinct forms or races distinguished by 



1026 



