loG CU/riVATION OF INDIGO. 



tain the produce per biggah, they ;lo not know the quan- 

 tity of hind at the time ui' disposing of the produce, and 

 probably men who are unacquainted with accounts do not 

 remember the produce "when they are made aware of the 

 quantity of land by the call for the rent. They leave 

 part of the plant also standing fur seed. 



The plant is sold in Bengal by the bundle, which is 

 measured by a chain. In the Doab it is sold for 1 rupee, 

 (~>() cents), for ;"> to l> monds. i!UO to '2'2.~) monds of plant 

 to a mond (75 Ibs.) of indigo, is a fair average produce. 

 Therefore it would cost about 3G to 40 rupees, or 18 to 

 '!() dollars, for the plant necessary to make To Ibs. of 

 indigo. The expense of manufacturing would be but 

 little. 



The water in India for indigo steeping is drawn up 

 from wells or rivers, either bv the China, wheel, or by 

 bullocks. The wells are SOUK- of them 70 feet to !K) feet 

 deep, some -0 feet. Throughout India the water is not 

 more than 14 or ll> feet from the surface, except in un- 

 usuallv high altitudes. 



A vat would contain !>0 to 110 monds of plant. To 

 supply three vats, it would take in India, from a well, 

 two bullocks and a man a day. In India, the wages of 

 the man and his bullocks would be H annas, or l?f> cents ; 

 two men to fill and empty the vats with the plant, (J pice 

 cadi, or ) annas, equal about 10 cents; six men would 

 beat two vats, or say nine men to the three vats, at (> 

 pice each, loi annas, or say -1<) cents; one man to boil 

 six vats at \'l pier, or three annas a day, one-half equal 

 to "> cents ; one man to procure wood, 3 pice, or 3 cents ; 

 two men to press it, o annas, or 10 cents ; packing, one 

 man to 3i monds would be but very little, say one-third 



