IN DiNAJPUR. It 



April or May, (for which repeated rain is absoUitely 

 necessary,) and be weeded before the periodical rains 

 set in^ an abundant crop may be expected. Indigo 

 sown in June seldom repays the labour of the hus- 

 bandman, the rains, then setting in, usually injure 

 the plant \yhile young, or produce weeds in such 

 abundance, that it is choked by them, and generally 

 perishes. 



The present method of cultivating indigo is sub- 

 ject to many inconveniences, and therefore liable to 

 many objections ; but as the whole business is con- 

 ducted by giving advances of money to the RyOts, 

 previously to their sowing the seed, and by receiv- 

 ing the produce at a certain number of bundles of a 

 given measure for a rupee, and as many of them 

 scarcely ever intend to fulfil their engagements, the 

 application of a remedy would be difficult, especi- 

 ally as the devising of it must depend upon expe- 

 riments, to the making of which the poverty and 

 prejudices of the cultivators would prove an almost 

 invincible obstacle. 



Corchorus olitorius, Corchoi^us capsidaris, and Cro- 

 talariajuncea are sown in April, May, or June. The 

 fibres of these plants are much used for cordage, 

 and for making sackcloth, and are very valuable 

 for these purposes. The TEschynomene cannahina^ 

 is sometimes, though but seldom, sown in this dis- 

 trict, but is more abundantly cultivated in the 

 southern parts of Bengal. The fibre of this ])lant is 

 less valuable than that of the Corchorus. There are 

 two varieties of the Orotalaria jiincea; one, sown 

 at this season, often grows ten or twelve feet high ; 

 the other variety is sown in October, and rises to the 

 height of four or five feet. 



