Indigo in Bengal. 79 



is applied for the last time, and the land left for the 

 plant to spring, as in Tirhoot. 



The process of weeding, cutting, carting, and manu- 

 facturing the indigo plant are almost precisely the 

 same in both Tirhoot and Lower Bengal, except that, 

 in the latter part, boats are very largely used instead 

 of carts to transport the indigo plant to the vats 

 of the factory, on account of so much waterway 

 being available owing to the many streams of Lower 

 Bengal, and also to the fact that the main portion of 

 many factories' sowings are close by the river-banks, 

 either of the Ganges or its tributaries. 



When the manufacturing season is drawing near, 

 a very sharp look-out has to be kept on the rising 

 of the Ganges, as, often, a great deal of plant sown 

 alongside the river is swamped and lost in a sudden 

 and unexpected rise of the water ; therefore it is 

 advisable, in manufacturing to get all plant in danger 

 of inundation near the rivers cut away first, in order 

 to be on the safe side. The boats generally take the 

 plant right up to, or close under, the vats by a canal 

 made for the purpose, if no natural waterway exists ; 

 so that it is undisturbed and unsoiled from the time of 

 its being cut and placed in the boat till it is placed 

 in the steeping vat which is a great advantage, as 

 in carting plant along muddy roads for long distan- 

 ces much of it is unavoidably soiled and rendered 



