Dye Stuffs. 



18 



Sixth Year. Rent 1,000, weeding 3,000 superintendence 3,600. picking 



300, euring 1,130, transport 1,130... 

 Seventh Year. Ditto ditto ditto 



Eighth Year. Ditto ditto ditto 



Ninth Year. Ditto ditto ditto 



Grand total 



[July, 1912. 



Straits 

 dollars. 



.. 10,160 



.. 14,800t 



.. 17,300t 



. 19,400f 



$137,060 



t The increased costs in these years are due to the extra cost of picking, etc., as the 

 plantation comes into bearing. 



Returns. 



Sixth Year. 10 nuts per tree = 1,130 piculs of copra at $8,00 per picul 



(220 nuts to the picul ) 

 Senenth Year. 30 nuts per tree =3,400 piculs of copra at $8,00 per picul 

 Eighth Year. 40 nuts per tree =4,500 piculs of copra at $8,00 per picnl 

 Ninth Year. 50 nuts per tree= 5,650 piculs of ccpra at $8"00 per picul 



* 1 picul = 133 } lb. 

 ( To be continued. ) 



Grand total' 



Strait9 

 dollars. 



.. 9,040 



.. 27,200 



.. 36,000 



... 45,200 



$117,440 



DYE STUFFS. 



A VISIT TO THE FIRST INDIGO 

 FACTORY IN CEYLON. 



The first Indigo factory in Ceylon has 

 recently been opened by Baron Schrottky 

 at Lagos Estate, Kalutara. The present 

 writer was fortunate enough to receive 

 an invitation to see the latest addition 

 to the agricultural industries of Ceylon, 

 and visited the estate in the company of 

 the Director of Agriculture on the 4th of 

 June. The visitors were shown the pro- 

 cess of manufacture by Baron Schrottky 

 and Dr. A. Cuntze, and the details of the 

 process were fully explained by the for- 

 mer to whom our thanks are due. 



The main crop of indigo grown at Lagos 

 consists of the species Indigofera arrecta, 

 the Natal-Java indigo. A small area of 

 I. sumatrana was also grown, but it 

 was clear from the habit and vigour of 

 the plants that the former is the more 



satisfactory variety.* Considering that 

 the seed was broadcasted on to the bare 

 soil+ with no cultivation of any kind, the 

 growth of the plants was distinctly 

 luxuriant, and Baron Schottky estimates 

 that four or five cuttings a year can be 

 obtained. We have no figiires relating 

 to the actual yield at Lagos, but an allied 

 species, Indigofera anil* sown at Pera- 

 deniya down alternate rows in an acre 

 of tea in full bearing for the purpose of 

 green manuring yielded about 8500 lb. of 

 green material from four cuttings. The 

 yield which can be obtained from plants 

 of similar habit when cultivated in good 

 soil is enormous. A small plot of Teph- 

 rosia Candida at Peradeniya yielded at 

 the rate of 132,000 lb, or 59 tons per acre 

 from four cuttings in one year. In view 

 of these figures Baron Schrottky's esti- 



* It should be stated that none of the names 

 here given have yet been verified by us. 



f This was due to a misunderstanding and is 

 not of coarse recommended as a practice to be 

 copied, 



