70 



cope with natives is explained by an agent of an European firm 

 to be that "the latter can do things cheaper. They manufac- 

 ture the produce of their own lands, work their own factories 

 and are assisted by relatives and friends who are paid little 

 or nothing, though, of course, they expect assistance in return. 

 At an European agency the weed is purchased, and the cost of 

 supervision and labour is very great. The weed, as is often 

 the case, during some seasons, yields little or no dye. Euro- 

 pean agencies suffer heavy losses, while natives do not feel the 

 loss so heavily." There are now six ^^ indigo factories and 6,393 

 indigo vats at work in the Presidency, the quantity of indigo 

 manufactured being estimated at 3*8 million lb. valued at 51 

 lakhs of rupees. Besides the persons employed in the cultiva- 

 tion of the plant, the manufacture of the dye gives employment 

 to 90,000 persons during the working season. Cultivation bein'g 

 perfectly voluntary, no difficulties or distui'bances similar to 

 those frequently experienced in Bengal, where indigo planters 

 who had secured leases of land on zemindari tenure endeavoured 

 to force the cultivation of indigo on ryots against their will, 

 have ever been experienced in this Presidency. The indigo 

 manufactured in Madras is supplanting the indigo of Bengal, 

 and it would, doubtless, soon take possession of the market 

 were it not for the fact that Madras indigo is extensively 

 adulterated by dealers. Indigo cultivation is very profitable 

 to the ryot not only on account of the dye, but also because 

 it enriches the soil and increases the yield of cereals, especially 

 rice, grown in rotation. 



Seeds to the quantity of 613,000 cwts. valued at 16f lakhs 

 of rupees were exported in 1855-56. The exports in 1889-90 

 had increased to a little less than 2 million cwts. valued at 1*19 

 crores of rupees. The trade, in earth-nuts especially, has deve- 

 loped within the last few years and assumed large dimensions. 

 Forty years ago, earth-nuts were unknown to European 

 commerce. The cultivation of this crop has extended rapidly 

 in the South Arcot district where the acreage under this crop 

 has increased from about 6,700 acres to 190,000 acres. As 

 ground-nuts do riot require irrigation or much care in cultiva- 

 tion, and as they grow on dry, sandy soil, the trade in this 

 article has increased the profits and the value of inferior lands. 

 Besides the exports of earth-nuts from British ports, large 

 quantities, the produce chiefly of the South Arcot district, are 

 shipped from Pondicherry. In 1889 and 1890 the exports 

 were valued at 14 and 9^ million fi'ancs, the diminished exports 

 in the latter year being due to diminished production owing to 



^* There is reason to believe that the inimbor of indigo factories is much in excess of 

 the number oflftcially returned. 



