I $4 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Sept, i, 1886, 



— instead of as at present what was your last aver- 

 age price ? — the position of proprietors and the 

 credit of the island will improve. The sooner the 

 desire to raise the average price is coupled with 

 the determination that it shall not be combined 

 with increased expenditure the better. If high 

 averages cannot be ol)tainod without fmo phiekiuf,. 

 wliicli means incroaspd expenditure and is tryiiif: 

 to our tea bushes it is far better to bo contonl 

 with our present rates. Without manuring, tea 

 will cost in most instances not less than cents ;]0 

 delivered in Colombo and taking an average price 

 of cents 15 and an average yield of 300 lb. an 

 acre we have a profit of lil5 per acre or on a 

 •200 acre estate 119,000 per annum. It certainly 

 cannot be safely calculated higher save in ex- 

 ceptional districts where soil and climate combine 

 to increase yield and give a superior quality of 

 tea. The above figures may be considered low 

 but they are safe. Many estates are giving 

 large returns, but will they continue to do 

 so. After years of working ? 



Profits may be large now, but when the price of 

 labor goes up, as I believe it will do, when Coast 

 advances increase ; and last not least when Super- 

 intendents are wanted and their salaries rise, I 

 question whether my calculation of profits is too 

 low. To prevent the cost of labor increasing we 

 require, fimt, to have direct steamer transport for 

 coolies to Tuticorin ; i<econd, the Paumbeu Eaihvay ; 

 third, suitable Government amhalum^ for them at 

 the ports of embarkation and debarkation; /'o(//-Z/f, 

 a direct service, i.e., through tickets and European 

 agents at each end who will not leave the cooly 

 a prey to native peculation. Lastly, I much ques- 

 tion whether the present kangani system could not 

 advantageously be replaced by collecting agents. 

 All who can grow coffee, cinchona and 

 cacao successfully should put in tea only 

 where the other products cannot succeed : this 

 will pay them best in the end and others will 

 benefit by their not increasing the output of tea. 



I am of opinion that a large acreage of tea is 

 pruned and plucked (probably in some cases owing 

 to necessity) when very young, damaging the 

 bushes and the future of the estate. It is neces- 

 sary to warn proprietors that by this course they 

 are not studying their own interests. The day lias 

 passed when agents and banks combined to help 

 speculators to buy and sell estates at unremuner- 

 ative prices. Propvietois must accept the fact that 

 they are no longer birds of pass.^f'e ; they cannot 

 .H"^; formerly plant up estates and sell. They niiist 

 consider the future of their properties, which, if 

 carefully tended from the first will yield them 

 small and steady incomes. They are unlikely to 

 effect a sale except to bona fide capitalists who will 

 be careful only to buy the estates at a price tluit 

 will be remunerative to themselve-, that is, unless 

 Limited Companies will help them out. They must 

 remember also that estates, like everything else. 

 after reaching maturity go back ; that in many cases 

 they are working on soil whei-e cinchona and coffee 

 have previously been grown : that disease may and 

 probably will, later on attack their trees (for wliere 

 a large expanse is in one product, disease is 

 generally found). All proprietors should therefore 

 lay aside at least half of their present profits and 

 look on half only as income; then, in later years 

 they will be able to enjoy a well-earned retirement 

 in a temperate climate. 



FOURTEEN YEARS A i'LANTEli 



TEA MACHINERY. 

 [We were invited by Messrs. John Walker & Co. 

 of Colombo Iron Works, the other day to inspect 

 some new tea machinery at tlieij works, but owing 



to shortness of staff and a feeling that a practical 

 autiiority would be able to give a more correct opin- 

 ion we requested a well-known tea planter of large 

 experience to ins))ect tiie machinery for us and we 

 are indebted to him for the following. — Ek.J 



Dkak Sih, — While in Colombo having had oc- 

 casion to vlrit Messrs.. .Tohn Walker X Co.'a factory, 

 I was enabled Ihrongh the courtery of Mr. Walker 

 to see the now .(ackson's Tea Sifting .Machine put 

 in motion and it seems to leave little if anything 

 to be desired as regards strength, simplicit}- and 

 general completeness. The uiachine, which is 

 strongly built and works noiselessly, is about '6 feet 

 by 12 feet. At the top end of the machine is a Cutter 

 which also acts as a feeding-box through which 

 the tea in bulk is passed ; it then falls on to a 

 (i, H or 10 mesh tray according to method of sift- 

 ing and all teas that do not pass through this 

 upper mesh go over the bottom end of the machine 

 int6 another Cutter equalizing itself and forming 

 pekoe souchong or souchong, according to mesh 

 used. What teas go through this upper mesh fall 

 on to a 12 or 14, the broken pekoe passing tiirough 

 these and the pekoe remaining above both dis- 

 charging themselves at the lower end of the machine 

 through separate hoppers, the different grades of 

 teas being carried through the machine and evenly 

 distributed on to the various meshes, by means of 

 " rippled " metal plates. The teas are easily seen 

 and got at, all the trays with meshes pulling in 

 and out like a chest of drawers. At present there 

 is no means of taking out the dust, but I suggested 

 to Mr. Walker a slight alteration which should easily 

 be made to effect this purpose. 



The new " Economic Roller " is also worth a visit 

 and is by far the best-looking machine at the money 

 yet turned out in Ceylon, and I shall expect to find 

 exceed the capabilities expected of it by the manu- 

 fa cturers. 



At Messrs. Maitland A- Co., I saw Mr. Gilruth's 

 Packer, a recently patented machine, of which the 

 public will hear more in the immediate future, 

 there being no doubt from both local and London 

 broker's reports on the trial shipment of teas 

 packe I by this machine that it will be the means 

 of enabling planters to avoid rebulking charges in 

 London. A few great improvements are being effected 

 in this machine, and it may be a month or two 

 before the public will be able to get delivery of 

 it, as Messrs. Maitland (t Co., as usual, want to 

 turn out a thornughlv perfect article. -Yours truly, 



PLANTER. ' 



TFA MAKING AKD THK CEYLON 

 PLANTERS. 



Sir,— I've beeu told hy experienced Ceylon tea maker.s 

 that they corieider Mr. liuvv's utteraiioes anent our 

 island manufacture "insultingly swceiiiug." No doubt 

 there is room for imjmirfimut in every walk through 

 life, and a friendly word of cor.nsel, from an avt/inriti/ 

 should not be discounted too harshly ; at the same 

 time, an utter stranger (may I say) to the country 

 might have j>au.'ted before thundei-ing forth suco 

 '•fiat." 



The first question wiiich arises to nij' miiu) on hear- 

 ing that Mr. (4ow iiad condeniued the Ceylon mode 

 of tea manipulation i>, what experience has he had in 

 this respect':' Uas IMr. Gow ever maili- a lb. of f oa in 

 his life before his advent to our isk of spice? Does 

 he conscientiously believe that our manufacture of 

 tea is entirely wrong? If so, what does he l)asc his 

 argument on ? The recent poor jtrices no doubt ! 

 Supposing that the market went up with a "jump," 

 as I hope it may ; would Mr. Gow kindly publish 

 his opinion as to the reason why? 



The able and interesting letters which have lately 

 appeared in priut, — more particularly Mr. Spearman 

 Armstrong's— give us an insight as to the recent fall- 

 ing-off in quality of our teas. My only objection to 



