138 CULTIVATION OF INDIGO. 



monds, or 10,400 Ibs. of green plant on an acre. The 

 biggah was generally calculated five to an acre. The 

 Bengal biggah is three to an acre. 



But as the above is my own experience in measuring 

 and weighing, I will here follow it. Now the ground 

 where I had been cultivating that indigo was excessively 

 sandy so that at the lowest calculation 130 monds, or 

 10,400 Ibs. of plant, may be put down for an acre in 

 America. 



For indigo I would give five men to prepare an acre 

 and sow it, not that the labor is greater than in cotton ; 

 weeding, one man ; cutting the plant, six men per acre ; 

 the conveying it to the factory would cost little, as the 

 factory could have the lands around it under indigo, 

 which could not be the case in East India. Therefore, 



For preparing and sowing land, 6 men per acre, at 20 cts. $1 20 



For weeding 2 " " 40 



Cutting plant 6 " " 1 20 



Conveying to factory, a man and horse, say - 60 



Two men to fill and empty one vat - 40 



Two men to beat two vats - 40 



One man to boil six vats, part of his wages for two vats 8 



Firewood, and man, two vats - 28 



Packing and chest, 3 monds, say 60 cents f 20 



Raising water, two men for six vats for one vat 7 



$4 83 



As 220 monds of plant make 75 Ibs. of indigo, therefore 

 as 130 : $4 83 : : 220 : or $8 IT per mond. 



This is not much more than one sixth the price it 

 would cost in India. In America, all the beating of vats 

 and raising of water could be done by machinery. The 

 sowing of indigo would be from 1st of April, and the 



