Indigo production
Media
Part of Philippine Craftsman
- Title
- Indigo production
- Language
- English
- Source
- The Philippine Craftsman Volume V (Issue No. 7) January 1917
- Year
- 1917
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- METHODS OF TEACHING AT NORMAL INSTITUTES 497 to have daily practice classes for industrial courses as for acade mic work, since the methods of obtaining the cooperation of pupils are the same for academic and industrial subjects. An occasional practice class would be of great assistance in demon strating the best manner of conducting industrial classes. The matter of financing the various courses of the division normal institute is of importance, especially when no aid comes from the province as was the case in Pampanga. A matricula tion fee of 1*1 was charged each teacher enrolled. This was not sufficient to meet the expenses of the institute, and it was decided to charge the cost of the various samplers made, to the pupils’ funds of the schools where they were to be used. In this manner, every school from which a teacher was assigned to the hard strips course, received a sampler for its own use. INDIGO PRODUCTION. From the Apparel Criterion (Seattle) it is learned that the total area of indigo planted in India during the past year is something over 135,000 hectares. “The plant is grown either on light red soils in tracts which receive an ample rainfall or on somewhat richer soils which obtain water from wells. It is also found as a ‘catch’ crop on rice lands after the rice harvest is over.” The process of extracting the indigo is seen to be practically the same as that in use in the Philippines. “The plant is tightly packed the day it is cut, • in a large vat, into which water is run, and boards are then placed over the top and are kept in position by heavy crossbeams. The plant is allowed to soak for ten or twelve hours, during which time a heavy fermentation takes place. The liquid is then drained off into another vat, after which coolies beat and stir the soaked mass thoroughly with flails until the dye begins to emerge. The whole is then allowed to settle; the clear liquid is drained off, and the residue is boiled in copper vessels. It is then pressed into hard cakes ready for the market.” o o o Dealers in America say that the mounts for Valenciennes lace in use here are very satisfactory for 6-yard lengths, but that for 12-yard lengths they should be twice as wide. Pieces of white paper should be pasted across the mounts at about 1 inch from each end.