imported from the western hemisphere was for some time
considered superior in quality to that of the East. Its cultivation,
however, has been neglected, and the Bengal indigo is preferred at
present to any imported from South America, where it is now only
cultivated by the Brazilians and Colombians. If proper attention were
paid to the cultivation of the plant, and to the preparation of the
dye, it is very likely part of that important trade would be brought
back. It thrives best in a moist climate, and the interior of Guiana,
chiefly newly-cleared land, would be well adapted for it.

The late Mr. Dunlop ("Travels in Central America") gives an
interesting description, which, at the risk of repetition in some
points, I shall give entire.

"Several vessels generally arrive at the Union from South America at
the time of the periodical fairs, where nearly all the indigo (the
only produce of any importance), is disposed of; formerly it reached
10,000 bales, but at present it does not at most exceed 3,000 bales of
150 lbs. each.

The indigo well known in Europe by the name of Guatemala indigo, was
never cultivated in that province (in the same manner as not a grain
of the Honduras cochineal is grown there), being entirely grown in the
state of San Salvador, in the vicinity of San Miguel, San Vicenti, and
the City of Salvador, with the exception of a small quantity of very
superior quality grown in the state of Nicaragua, and a few bales in
Costa Rica, which is all consumed in the State. Under the government
of Spain, the produce of the state of San Salvador alone had reached
10,000 bales, and that of Nicaragua 2,000; the produce of San Salvador
in 1820, two years before its independence, being 8,323 bales. But
since 1822 the annual produce had gradually declined, and in 1846 it
did not exceed 1,000 to 1,200 bales, nearly all the indigo estates
being abandoned, partly, no doubt, from the great fall in the price of
the article, but more on account of the impossibility of getting
laborers to work steadily.

The plant cultivated in Central America for the manufacture of indigo,
is the triennial plant, supposed to be a native of America; but there
is also an indigenous perennial plant, abounding in many parts of
Central America, which produces indigo of a very superior quality, but
gives less than half the weight which is produced by the cultivated
species. The ground for sowing the indigo seed is prepared in
April,--a piece