The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-27
HOW INDIGO Is RAISED.
It's Cultivation Gives Employment to
Millions Of Natives in India.

From Pearson's Magazine.
Indigo, the most beautiful and exc
pensive of all dyes in common use. has
ever been closely related to India, as
it's name implies. From India. the an.
cient Greeks and Romans drew sup
plies of the blue dye, and although
1t was lost to Europe during the
greater part of the middle ages, enor-
nous quantities have been imported
for commercial purposes during the
last hundred years.
Indigo is cultivated all over India,
giving employment to millions of ma
tives and thousands of foreigners. In
three districts alone, Behar, where
some Of the finest indigo is grown.
European capital is invested to the
extent of no less than $25,Ooo.OO0
Some $4,000 acres are under cultiva-
tion. There are 700 Englishmen man.
aging and working on the concerns"
as the factories and plantations are
always called. and 100000 natives.
An indigo concern may occupy any,
where between 1000 and 10000 acres.
each cultivated acre producing, on an
average, about fifteen to twenty
pounds of indigo.
The plant grows to a height Of be-
tween three and five feet. 1t is in
the leaves that the color-yielding mat
ter chiefly resides. they being at their
fullest at the time when the flower
buds are about to bloom: but the
leaf. Of a yellowish- green color, gives
no indication of cntaining anything
which will yield a blue coloring mat
ter.
Toward the end of June, or as soon
as the monsoon has set in, the crop
is cut, and the work of manufacturing
commences. The first manufacturing,
called "morhum mahai," lasts general
ly to the middle of August. BY this
time the stems which have been cut
have shot up again. and in September
a second crop is taken from the same
plants-sometimes three crops are
taken in one season. >,
In most concerns the simple, primi-
tive processes Of manufacture are still
adhered to, for planters and old hands
are strong believers in the original true
blue. and will have nothing to do with
ideas and chemical admix-
tures
Every day the watts in which the
plants are steeped-the first process of
cleaned out by cool
les. The plant Is stacked upright, to
allow air to escape. and is kept in posi-
tion by long pieces Of bamboo. Then
water is run into the vat. which, how
ever is not quite filled, since the plant
expands, exerting an enormous pres
sure that might easily crack the watts
sides.
The plants take long while to soak:
the leaves are not easily wetted. When
the plants have been stepped for about
ten hours, the color-yielding matter
will have been extracted. The liquid is
now run off into lower or "beating"
vats, and the extracted plant, or sect"
Is taken out, to be subsequently EN-
ployed to fertilize new crops. The run
ming liquid varies in color from bright
orange to olive green. 1t Is necessary
that 1t shall now be kept In state Of
violent agitation.
The froth is at first blue, then white, |
and soon disappears. The liquid. after |
passing through various color changes, |
turns from green to dark, rich indigo |
blue. The overseer. to test whether the |
beating process Is sufficient, takes a |
little liquid and pours 1t on to a plate
Il the grain, or "fecula," readily settles, |
leaving a clear fluid. the beaters jump |
from the vat. or the wheel is stopped. |
After beating, the fecula is allowed |
to settle for two or three hours. and |
then the water is run off. The gain |
Is collected, passed through various |
strainers, whence 1t flows to a Well, |
and is elevated by a steam injector to |
an iron tank. 1t Is now boiled. to pre- |
vent any further fermentation. and |
then the hot concentrated stuff is run |
through strainers on to a filter table.
The resulting pulpy paste, not unlike |
colored whipped cream, is pressed and
cut into small cakes, each stamped |
with the mark of the factory. the date
and the number of the days boiling. |
The cakes are put away to dry on
shelves, being carefully busted |
and turned every few days until ready |
Tor packing.