CULTIVATION OF INDIGO. 137 



of 5 cents. Conveying the plant from the field would 

 depend upon the distance ; the indigo field is sometimes 

 four and five miles from the factory in India. 



I will give the above items in tabular order, with an 

 estimate of the probable expense in America : 



Cost of 200 to 250 monds or 16,00 to 20,000 Ibs. 



plant, say $36 00 to $40 00 



Three men to fill and empty 3 vats 15 cents. 

 Raising water for 3 vats - 25 " 



Half of one man's salary to boil - 6 " 



Nine men to beat 3 vats 45 " 



Two men to press the indigo - 10 " 

 Expense of conveying 200 monds, say $2 00 " 

 Fireman - 5 " 



Wood 30 " 



Packing and chest, 60 cent. 3 monds 20 " 



$3 56 $3 56 to $3 56 



Total expenses per 75 Ibs. $39 56 to $43 56 



To which is to be added expenses of law-suits, loss of 

 advances making it at the very lowest 53 dollars. 



PROBABLE EXPENSE IN AMERICA. 



It is necessary to ascertain in some way the produce 

 per acre. Thirty monds would be a good produce per 

 biggah ; the biggah measures 20 khudams (steps) of five 

 feet each ; the step in India, or khudam, is the space be- 

 tween where the right foot is raised from the ground, to 

 it rests on the ground again twenty khudams, 

 <M|ual, therefore, 100 feet; that squared is 10,000 feet 

 43,560 square feet in an acre therefore 4 3 or more big- 

 gahs in an acre, and consequently there would be 130 



