Remonstrantie 4.3

4.3

The stalks, which are left a handbreadth high in October, grow again, and in the beginning of the following August, when the crop is fully half an ell high, it is cut in the manner already described for the nauti. Sometimes when the rains are, or have been, favourable, the ziarie plants are so luxuriant that three cuttings are made — once in the beginning of August, once in the beginning of September, and again when the nauti is cut, this last crop being called katel. When this happens, it is a sure sign that indigo will be cheap. The ziarie indigo is superior in quality to the nauti, giving a violet infusion. Its quality can be easily judged, even without examining the inside of it, for it is much lighter in the hand than the nauti. In order to judge indigo with certainty, it should be looked at before midday in the sunshine; if it is pure, it will glisten and show various colours, like a rainbow, so that owing to the variations no opinion of the colour can be formed. If it contains sand or dirt, the adulterations cannot be overlooked in sunlight. Such impurities are common; sometimes they are added intentionally to increase the weight, or they may be caused by the wind, if the balls, while still fresh and not hardened, are left to dry on sandy soil. Katel is of extremely bad quality, hard, dull, without gloss or colour, almost like charcoal. It is bought from the sellers at half price, and beaten into powder with sticks.