and in Purneah, which is the growing of indigo seed for the Bengal
planters. The system of advances and the mode of cultivation is much
the same as that followed in indigo planting proper. The seed is sown
in June or July, is weeded and tended all through the rains, and cut
in December. The planters advance about four rupees a beegah to the
ryot, who cuts his seed-plant, and brings it into the factory
threshing ground, where it is beaten out, cleaned, weighed, and packed
in bags. When the seed has been threshed out and cleaned, it is
weighed, and the ryot or cultivator gets four rupees for every
maund--a maund being eighty pounds avoirdupois. The previous advance
is deducted. The rent or loan account is adjusted, and the balance
made over in cash.

Others grow the seed on their own account, without taking advances,
and bring it to the factory for sale. If prices are ruling high, they
may get much more than four rupees per maund for it, and they adopt
all kinds of ingenious devices to adulterate the seed, and increase
its weight. They mix dust with it, seeds of weeds, even grains of
wheat, and mustard, pea, and other seeds. In buying seed, therefore,
one has to be very careful, to reject all that looks bad, or that may
have been adulterated. They will even get old useless seed, the refuse
stock of former years, and mixing this with leaves of the neem tree
and some turmeric powder, give it a gloss that makes it look like
fresh seed.

When you suspect that the seed has been tampered with in this manner,
you wet some of it, and rub it on a piece of fresh clean linen, so as
to bring off the dye. Where the attempt has been flagrant, you are
sometimes tempted to take the law into your own hands, and administer
a little of the castigation which the cheating rascal so richly