364 



INDIGO. 



necessary principles to enable the plant producing it to take a high 

 rank. 



On attaining its full growth, it is about 6J feet in height, and even 

 taller if it has not been cut back- It is cultivated in beds of sand, or 

 on the light alluvial washings of the upper tertiary formation, that is 

 to say, in light soils seldom subject to the effects of heavy floods. 



Although capable of living many years, it is advisable to renew the 

 plants annually. Its growth takes j)lace between February and July. 

 When it has arrived at maturity, the leaves are collected in bundles 

 and carried to the factory, where the process of manufacturing the 

 paste is carried out : this, in order to be of first-class quality, should 

 be light in weight and of a very light sky-blue colour. 



The experiments made by M. de Fiennes at Gho-viap (near Saigon), 

 and at Cambodja by M. Caraman, have been crowned with the greatest 

 success. The latter has planned a factory, which, at a cost of about 

 lOCOZ. sterling, will be capable of producing annually more than 

 20,000 cakes of indigo. 



The original native method of production was so defective and 

 primitive in its nature that it does not deserve mention. All has to 

 be done afresh by a new and more intelligent process. 



M. Caraman is unable to estimate the profit to be obtained from 

 the cultivation of the plant, but hazards the conjecture that under an 

 accurate system of management and well-planned labour the factories 

 of Cochin China can supply not only the whole of Europe but also 

 America. 



Siam. — A small quantity of indigo is produced in Siam. In 1875, 

 481 piculs, valued at 200/., were shipped. 



China. — Although there exist in China varieties of Indigofera 

 tinctoria and I. anil, these are not much cultivated. Dr. Williams 

 states I. coccinea is grown, and Loureiro, /. tinctoria. In the southern 

 provinces there are plantations at Konang-si, Konang-ton, and Fokien. 

 Isatis indigotica, Fortune, is grown in almost every province of China. 

 Buellia indigotica is cultivated for its dye in the province of Tche- 

 kiang. Preference is given in the north to Polygonum tinctorium, 

 especially about Pekin ; but P. chinense, harhatum, ^erfoliatum, and 

 aviculare, are also employed. 



In 1875, 600 tubs of indigo, equal to 80,000 piculs, were imported 

 into Ningpo, chiefly from Tamsuy and its neighbourhood. 



Indigo received in Chinese ports by foreign coasting vessels : 



Piculs. Piculs. 



1868 32,380 1871 44,987 



1869 42,797 1872 32,941 



1870 26,566 



Ja^n. — Large indigo manufactories have recently been started, 

 and are now in working order at Osaka, Matsubara, and Tunaki, in 

 the province of Omi, Japan, and it is proposed to establish more in 

 other provinces of the same country. 



The indigo here is obtained chiefly from the Polygonum tinctorium. 

 The plants, which grow to a height of 2 to 8 feet, are cut into three 

 parts, the upper part with the greatest number of leaves being the 

 richest in colouring substance. For the best quality the leaves only 

 are used ; these, after having been exposed to the air and sun 



