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IN D I G O. 



(Khartf.) 





Varieties. 



None. 



Ploughing, sowing.. 



Intermediate operations. 



The field is not manured, but it is best to sow the year after a manured 



crop like cotton. It must be prepared by watering 



VM^Jyiyy Preparation of land. J 



(paren) before ploughing for sowing. 



The ploughing, sowing, levelling, after sowing and making the irrigation 

 beds, are all done in one day whilst the ground is moist ; 

 the cultivator borrows ploughs to help him, and his hired 



labourers work all day. The seed is sown broadcast and ploughed in, the 

 tf mai" being run over afterwards. 



The plants show in a fortnight, and must be watered at once, and every 

 fortnight afterwards till the rain falls. When the plant 

 is two finger-joints high 'porua\ and whilst the ground 



is moist, but not wet, a weeding is given, which must be finished in a day or 

 two at the outside. Old women or children are usually employed in this, 

 and get 1 anna and "chabena." Rain (asdrh) sowings require weeding 

 more than earlier sowings, as the plant whilst still young is liable to be choked 

 by the grass that springs up in the early rains. 



For plant (for dye) the indigo should be cut in Bhddon, just when the 

 flower bud begins to show ; 16 or 20 men will cut an 

 acre in the day. The carriage to the vats is a matter of 



contract with the factory. The stumps are left for seed, or where there is no 

 indigo factory the whole crop is left for seed, and is cut at the end of Novem- 

 ber (Aghan). 



The pods are first separated from the stalks by a man beating a bundle 

 Threshine ^ sta ^ s on * ne ground, or with a stick, and the seed 



is threshed out in the usual manner ; one pair of oxen 

 taking two days to thresh out the produce of an acre, 



Cutting. 



