INDIGO. 



363 



he generally gets an* advance of from Es.5 to Es.6 per beegah. The 

 expense of a beegah of irrigated indigo is Es.7-8. For a fair out-turn 

 a ryot gets Ks.20 a beegah from the factory, and sometimes as much 

 as Es.30. 



In these districts the industry is neither so important nor flourishing 

 as in the north. Owing probably to the drier climate and less favour- 

 able soil, the dye is inferior to that of Tirhoot, and brings a lower 

 price. Frequent droughts cause the crop to be exceedingly pre- 

 carious, and the smaller profits realized by the planters renders them 

 less able to weather bad years than those in the north. 



Of late years a considerable quantity of indigo leaf has been sent 

 from the Mofussil to Pondicherry, there to be made into dye. The 

 reason for this is that the leaf is free of duty, while the manufactured 

 dye pays a duty of Es.3 per maund. About 2000 lbs. of dry leaf, or 

 1000 lbs. of green, are required to make a maund of indigo. 



In the French territory surrounding Pondicherry, there were in 

 1860, 1100 hectares of land cultivated with indigo, which produced 

 6,962,000 kilos, of dry leaves, from which 37,131 kilos, of indigo were 

 made. There were then 92 indigo factories, and 121 dye houses, 

 which turned out 415,723 pieces of stuff, measuring 16 yards loug by 

 1 yard wide. 



The quantity of indigo shipped from Pondicherry for France in 

 1874 was 255,954 kilos. The number of indigo manufactories in 

 Pondicherry and Karikal, was 108, and of dye houses 61; 505 hec- 

 tares were under culture, which produced 2,086,565 kilos, of dry leaf. 



M. Jules Lepine gave in 1862 the following as the expense^ of 

 cultivating a small cani (53 ares 51 centiares with indigo in Coro- 

 mandel ; the are is equal to a square of 1076 feet) : 



Francs. 



Labour 9*60 



Manure 7 '20 



Seed 2-40 



Weeding 4-80 



Cutting 9-60 



Drying and separating the leaves 3 '00 



Land tax 5-78 



Total 42-38 



The three cuttings made during the year produce 20 hectolitres of 

 leaves, which, being sold for 47 frs. 20 c, leaves a profit of 24 frs, 20 c. 

 for the cultivator. 



Sometimes sesame is sown in the same land, which is harvested 

 before the indigo leaves are cut. 



Cochin China. — This invaluable plant, one of the most important in 

 modern manufactures, and which even the aniline dyes are not likely 

 to dethrone, must be regarded as one of the chief products of Cochin 

 China and Cambodja, where it grows with extraordinary vigour. 



Of the numerous species two or three only have attracted the 

 attention of cultivators. The plants which grow in Cochin China 

 are equal to those of India j)roper, and the indigotine, or dyeing quality 

 possessed by the local species {Indigofera tindoria), contains all the 



