Dye Stuffs. 



20 



[July, 1912. 



In the ordinary process of indigo 

 manufacture the paste is dried, into 

 cake, but Baron Schrottky employs a 

 special " f ecula process " which enables 

 the indigo to be marketed as paste 

 instead of in the dry form, thus avoiding 

 the necessity of much grinding and care- 

 ful mixing by the dyer in reconverting 

 the indigo to paste, the form in which 

 it is used. The paste containing 20 

 per cent, of pure indigo is treated 

 with certain chemicals which prevent 

 putrefaction. It is packed in lead lined 

 boxes for export. 



Baron Schrottky estimates that by his 

 process an average of at least 0"5 per 

 cent, of dry indigo valued at three 

 shillings per pound can be got from a 

 given weight of green material. Assum- 

 ing a yield of 40,000 lbs. of green material 

 per acre, the yield would then be 200 lbs. 

 of dry indigo the gross value of which 

 would be £30, in addition to the value 

 of the seet which can be restored to the 

 soil. By the kindness of Baron Schrottky 

 we are able to give here his own state- 

 ment of the actual results obtained from 

 the indigo which we saw in process of 

 manufacture. 



R, H« L. 



STATEMENT OF ACTUAL RESULTS OF 

 INDIGO MANUFACTURE AT LAGOS 

 ESTATE. 



By Baron Schrottky De 

 schrottzynski. 

 The actual outturn of the vat you saw 

 beaten off on the 4th June has been 2 

 presses of well-strained Indigo fecula of 

 the consistency of soft butter. It was 

 the result of the fermentation of 1,000 

 cubic feet of green plant, weighing 

 12,875 lbs. The presses were filled to the 

 depth of 12 inches and the resulting 

 slabs of pressed Indigo were converted 

 into standard paste and weighed 388 



lbs. , the selling value of which is 50 cents 

 per lb. f.o-b. Colombo. . 



The weighing of the plant and the 

 outturn of dye was carefully checked by 

 Dr. Cuntze and myself. This outturn 

 amounts therefore to 3 lbs. of Standard 

 paste for every 100 lbs. of green plant 

 germinated. 



An even better outturn than this (34 

 lbs. of Standard paste from 100 lbs. of 

 green plant) has since then been obtain- 

 ed, the native staff working now better 

 than at first. 



Quality is satisfactory and latterly 

 has been quite equal to fine violet Java 

 Indigo. 



The first 40 chests will go to India, 

 where forward sales have been made 

 for the Lagos outturn to some of the 

 chief Cotton and Woollen Mills, doing 

 their own indigo dyeing, and in due time 

 we shall have their reports on the actual 

 dyeing value as compared with the Syn- 

 thetic Indigotine. 



The cost of cutting, transport and 

 ordinary manufacturing labour has been 

 somewhat high at Lagos, about Rs. 40 

 per vat of 1000 cubic feet (more than four 

 times as much as it is in Behar) equal to 

 10 cents per lb. of Standard paste turned 

 out, but this can be much reduced 

 and ought not to exceed Rs. 25. 



The cost for Chemicals has been Rs. 24 

 per vat, equal to 6 cents per lb. of Stan- 

 dard paste. 



The press boxes here are exceptionally 

 big (36 x 24 inches, inside measurement) 

 yielding 96 inches cakes. In Behar 

 presses are generally 33 * 24 inches = 88 

 cakes. 



An outturn of f of such a press per 100 

 cubic feet of green plant, manufactured 

 by the ordinary processes, is considered 

 in Behar a good average yield, one press 

 per 100 cubic feet of green plant is ex« 

 ceptionally good. 



15th June, 1912, 



9 



