184 
SYNTHETICS. 
As we still come across people who are nervous about the 
bugbear of Synthetic Rubber, perhaps some notes as to the present 
position of Synthetic Indigo, taken from the Indian Planter’s Gazette 
of March 12 of this year may assuage their anxiety somewhat. Indigo 
has always been held up as an example of a cultivation destroyed by 
a synthetic product made in Germany, but it does not appear to be 
dead yet. 
“The synthetic dye is at present manufactured only by the Bad- 
ische Anilin und Soda Fabrik and by the Farbwerke vorm, Meister 
Lucius and Bruning ; all other competitors and manufacturers of the 
synthetic indigotine having retired and a paste containing about 20 
per cent of indigotine is sold at 8d. per lb. Baron Schrottky has 
known for some years that this price is very near the cost of pro- 
duction, and it is only common sense to suppose that the producers 
would sell the synthetic article as low as possible in order to kill the 
natural industry and to have a monopoly. American Consular 
reports from Germany (see page 16 of “ Der Indigo and seine 
Concurrenten by Dr. Felsen) also state, on the basis of trustwothy 
information, that the synthetic indigo cannot, without any profit, be 
sold more cheaply than at present. It can therefore be taken as 
quite certain that 20 per cent, synthetic indigotine paste cannot be 
sold at 6d. per lb. without loss, and it is an open secret that the cost 
of manufacture of this article has reached bottom, and that it cannot 
be produced more cheaply. 
Dyers like the synthetic indigotine in the form of a paste; it is 
easier to manipulate and to dye with than is natural indigo, and the 
synthetic dye is more uniform in quality and character. On the other 
hand the natural indigo dyes better as is freely admitted by the 
trade; the atomically fine inter-mixture in the natural product of 
indigo red, indigo brown, and indigo gum tends to make the dye 
adhere better to the fibre, and to withstand longer the destructive 
influence of light air, and moisture. If dyers were offered the natural 
indigo, similar to the synthetic indigotine, in paste form, uniform in 
quality, as easy to manipulate, and as cheap, they would prefer the 
natural product. 
The successful introduction of Java-Natal indigo (a three year 
crop), with the result thaf the planter is able to reduce his cultivation 
expenses and harvest 50 per cent, more green plant per acre than 
heretofore, the better dye yielding properties of this new variety and 
the improvements in manufacture which have raised the output of 
dye per 100 maundg of green plant from 10 or 14 seers of indigo, as 
heretofore, to 28 or even 32 seers, at an extra cost which leaves a 
large margin of profit to the planter these established facts make 
it not difficult to predict with whom victory must lie. The future 
cost of the production of natural indigo will be much below that of 
