476 



DYES AND COLORING STUFFS. 



long been anxious for the establishment of an indigo plantation 

 there, and would readily take shares in a company established for 

 that purpose. Indigo would seem to have been exported by the 

 Dutch from Ceylon so late as 1794. The wild varieties of indigo 

 which grow on the sea-shore are used by the dobies (ivashermeri) . 



Indigo grows in a wild state in Siam, and all the dye used in 

 the country is manufactured from these plants. The extensive low 

 grounds are admirably suited for the cultivation of this plant. 



A large quantity is raised in Manila, but I have no full details 

 of the cultivation in the Philippines. However, in the first six 

 months of 1843, 1,039 piculs of indigo were shipped to Europe, 

 and about 650 to other quarters equal in all to about 226,000 Ibs. 

 in the half year. In the year 1847 the exports of indigo were 

 30,631 arrobas, equal to about 7,658 cwt. ; in 1850 the total 

 exports from Manila were 4,225 quintals. 



JAYA. The cultivation of indigo was introduced into Java in 

 the time of the company. It was so much neglected during the 

 administration of Governor Daendels, that the exportation ceased. 

 It however revived subsequently, and in 1823 the exports were 

 close upon 17,000 Ibs. In 1826 it had risen to 46,000 Ibs. In 

 the single province of Westbaglen, about 60 square miles in ex- 

 tent, 86 indigo factories were established in the course of seven 

 or eight years. In 1839, the exports of this dye-stuff from Java 

 were 588,764 kilogrammes, valued at 7^ million francs. 



It has been found by experience that a good soil is essentially 

 necessary for the plant, and the indigo transplanted from elevated 

 grounds to the rice fields succeeds better and yields more coloring 

 matter than when raised direct on the spot from the seed. The 

 residencies of Cheribon, Baglen and Madion, are those in which 

 the crop succeeds best. From being so exhausting a crop, and 

 finding it prejudicial to their rice grounds, they are gradually 

 abandoning indigo culture in Java, and about two-thirds of the 

 indigo plantations have within the last year or two been replaced 

 with sugar. 



The value of the Java indigo is set down at 250 rupees (25) 

 per maund. If this be the average price, and it cannot be manu- 

 factured lower, Bengal has little to fear from Javanese competition. 

 The product of indigo rose from 276 maunds in 1825, to 28,000 in 

 1842, and the quantity sold by the Dutch Trading Company in 

 thelast-namedyear was 10,500 chests, of about the same dimensions 

 as those usually exported from Calcutta. 



Some further statistics of the culture in Java are shown in the 

 following returns of the quantity exported : 



1830 

 1835 

 1839 

 1841 

 1843 

 1851 

 1852 



Ibs. 

 22,063 

 535,753 

 595,818 

 913,693 

 1,890,429 

 769,580 

 838,288 



The produce in 1848 was 1,151.368 Ibs. 



