Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-10-02
THE INDIGO COUNTRY.
HOW THE PLANT is GROWN IN
NICARAGUA.
Planting in Trenches Gathering
the Stalks - Process OF Fermenta-
ltion Varieties of Native Cotton =
The Useful Coyol Palm.

4 = o"C'iuS
.ne s'aiks = Process OF Fermenta-
tloh Sarieties or Native Cotton -
Inc Useful Coyoi Palm.
That portion of NICARAGUA which
stretches TO the northeast from, the sboros
of Lake Manacua is known as one Of the
best indigo growing districts &c the
world. The Climate il cooler than that 81
the Plain of Leon and continues crow
ing so ms ono oradnallv ascends tho
grade until he Ards b;mso,f On ,ho no
teau of Sepov;a where tbn dave are al
WAYS pleasant and the NIGHTS cool eno,gb
for fires. But few lcagnes from Teon
on every side Of the trail and as far a.
the eve can reach rich Green nndar.
growth covers every cleared snacs wh;ob
much ,oscmhiss ~ tanda sa sp"ot "" ~
locust tree. and IL what tba nat;ves coli
s.iioilite (, or the ;nd;oo ,,lont II LAT
ING Il the richest soil l. rarefnl,v c,earad
and burnt over. trencbos orc A. 49, ~ !,
three inches deem and about a foot anart
into which the seed is thrown and l;ahtl,
covered with earth Tho nlant;nr =
done in Nav az the c,ose of IL Dc,
son. and the shrub ;s readv 70 he ~ /,
August -
The vo,rc b,sbos h.r =. ~ t,,u-
weeded ~ nyeyant CIV nao ~, ~ p1 eaietui,
springinq M and mirinc With then,
which would ;niure TIC o,al;t,, - ~.
INDIGO About tbe m;dd1s ~ ,,o,,a.
the leaves nresent rnnnh o s,,rfa mus s uss
apnear as # covered r;t5 nra ~ LII and
When the STALL i cvt oH ~ X aeen a.h SAINT
a few inches above The orornd Isar; ,, - =
few sprouts remaining which produce
second crop that is gathered about two
months later The first years result is
usually small, that of the second wear
much greater, and the third years i'm
mense, after which the crop diminishes
again until the seventh year, when the
fields have again to be cleared and
planted.
The cut plants are tied in bundles
like wheat in the United States. and
carried to the fermentation vat. where
enough water is allowed to RIM in to
cover it; then the swelling mas is WEIGHT
ed down to steep and ferment The
only skill REQUIRED in the manufacture ;s
to he able 10 chocL 49, fana,aa. at;u.e -
the proper moment. and natives CONNIE.
tent to do SO receive from Az r. eto nor
day. When the solution Of indioo has .
peculiar green color It is drawn Eff into
another vat where II ;s incessantlv a.;
tated and beaten bv REVOLVING fans mil
it changes from its w;r;nal ereer oolor
to dark blue. and the colorins, mo tto
1@sammences to nrecin;tate Tbsre T. =
specfs~~s of cl;mb;ng n1ant Or ..na;neo ("
and a,s; s,1n otssAich greatly facilitates
NV u.cNens this lhss'Shanne
oran me WAFER IS then drawn On, le~vine a
Sra;nnS at =; sol' piue clay which is
oa~af'e, u IN pags, then dried In the sun,
y seiecteu as to quality, and
pauAeu LOT export IN packages of 15C
funus eacn' or 'ceroons. Forty OF
n i AZ yeais ago nicaragua produced from
$3.50 ~ iu'ooV ceroons" OF indigo pei
ta4aI i, put now u may De doubted if the
80 ee'a "a annual product exceeds 1000. Most
oarn .41 nne naclendasD OF the high
ou.iy az no" commencing to Craze
49, IN ahu .nougn many still remain
ora swa 49, 70 Sneap' Inc lndlgo farms
| lee a. disappearing, and cattle,
49, ' anu cacas heids are taking theil
p'1o1
nao .wo natives as guides hardy
minels whose homes were in the town OF
pegovia. lhey had been absent from
LII ao1o ol 'lie coast 1or nearly two months,
nnu nly mule mad to exert himself to
e'P 'neih IA view The animal seemed
~ anow 1hat Inc Indians were our
sue' ior whenever they disappeared
aftan turn ne would take up trot
a'eei ,leH' ana would not slow down to
n,o maiN u In ne nad them in view once
I'LL Ri me INDIANS carried nothing but
ah n.t.s pas o. netting thrown over the
ta;y containing native cheese. plan
$3.50 a," lew dlrty 'tortlllas, and large
n nml'es, machetes; with which they
tra;, a"ay .nc nr'sn on the overgrown
"@ n,a ~ enaDle tne mule to pass.
o'ose 20 oan Juan de la Mayo, where
w. ..esh passed our flrst night, saw many
c oeo,a trees, or the cotton bearers Of
sa en, la. america. They are not TALL
shw "a. Few over 20 feet in height, but
10y e..aih an immense thickness. They
49,. y. very rapid growth, and, in conse-
r1shle .h .ne Wood IS llghter and less du-
Iaole IMAM the cottonwood tree found
dncess I ,as,.o rellowstone River. 1t pro-
n 90, 'a.ser poos' considerably greater
~ rs