S54 



tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Nov. 1, 1886. 



Wciglit, aRcording to Mr. Newbery (Timbers of Vic- 

 lori.i, 1,.S77,) 41 to 4Slb. per cubic foot; our specimen 

 gives 'Mi il). 



It is useil in Australia for cabinet work, coach- 

 buiUliug, railway carringcs and agricultural imple- 

 ment.-; on the Nilgiris chiefly for firewood. Its bark 

 is used for tanuing 



JJesid'-s A. tacldiioxyloii and .4. (Jealhata, there are 

 several other species of Watile, some of which are cul- 

 tivated in India. A. (Iccinreiis, Willd., the "Common" 

 or '-Elack " "Wattle, is a small or medium-sized tree; 

 liirger in moist localities. According to l\Ir. Newbery, 

 the wood weighs 45 to 4S ib per cubic foot. It is being 

 grown in several places in India. A. pi/cna)i1Iia, Hth., 

 the "Golden" or -'Eroad-leaf " Wattle, is the most 

 valuable species for tanner's bark ai\d gum. Its wood 

 weighs r)l"5 lb per cubic foot. A.howolojihiiUa, A. Cunn., 

 is the Myallwood, a small tree with a hard, dark wood 

 with the scent of violets. 



Wattles grow in almost any soil, but their growth 

 is best in loo.so, sandy places or where the surface has 

 been broken for agricvdtural or other purposes. It 

 is well, before sowing the seed, to soak it for a short 

 time in warm water ; this moistens the outer shell 

 and inducts more speedy germination. The seeds 

 generally germirate in from 7 to 10 days, iind are 

 apt to damp cff if too carelessly watered. 



GOW'S TEA WITHEEINCI MACHINE. 



The experimental machine, which we cannot 

 honestly call " a thing of beauty," for, externally 

 it presents the appearance of a revolving horse 

 box, perforated at intervals — was tried today in 

 the presence of a large number of gentlemen in- 

 terested : merchants, brokers and tea-tasters, 

 planters, members of the local press, Ac. The 

 tea leaf used was only very partially witliered by 

 atmospheric air, was somewhat heated and con- 

 tained a good deal of haujii or hard leaf. The 

 quantity iilled in was 200 lb., and the time occu- 

 pied in withering was, as nearly as possible 

 one hour. Good judges pronounced the leaf, 

 when taken out, well withered and it must 

 have gone pretty far in the process of fer- 

 mentation, tor it felt quite hot to the touch. 

 Mr. Gow attracted attention to the bright appear- 

 ance of the pekoe tips, although a good propor- 

 tion of the banjy leaf was but partially affected 

 by the withering process. The verdict of a tea- 

 taster was, " The withering is well enough : let us 

 see what the quality of the tea will be." We 

 waited long enough to see the withered and heated 

 tea put into one of Jackson's rollers, and 

 to have our attention attracted by Mr. Gow 

 to the readiness with which the roller acted on 

 leaf withered in his machine. We were, therefore, 

 .turj'rised to hear him say that he wished to give 

 tlie leaf an hour's rolling. Hearing this, we came 

 away to write this paragraph (lime, 20 minutes to 

 1, the experiment liaving commenced shortly after 

 11), but .at Mr, Gow's request we promised to go 

 "back again," which promise we hoi)c to be able 

 to fult't!. ,» . , , 



Meantime we may suy that liic withering nmchlne 

 \\[\\ require motive power to cause the huge 

 (liui'i lo revolve, and to drive it into a stream of 

 hot nil' which, wiiJi the moisture from the leaf, 

 escnpc; throtigh row^i of perforations at intervals 

 over tiio surface. There is nothing new in this 

 api>li(atio!i of hot air, so t]iat the distinguishing 

 l^rinciplc of Mr. Gow's machine is avowedly bor- 

 rowed from thoFC original tea mauufacLurers, the 

 Chinese. To imitate the celestial process of flap- 

 ping the tea leaf between the hands, a series of 

 wooden fans or Mappers, working on hinges, is 

 placed inside tiie dium, by wliich the leaves are 

 f-truck in mid air (the liot air of the interior) as 

 the drum revolves, Ju tliis Dapping prgcess tlie 



cells of the leaves are broken and fermentation is 

 thus added to withering, both of which actions 

 would be considered fatal to the tea in the ordin- 

 ary process of withering, thinly spread on floors or 

 shelves or webs, by means of atmospheric air, or 

 by air, slightly warmed by the heat from 

 siroccos or other driers. As Mr. Gow claims as a dis- 

 tinct, indeed the distinguishing merit of his inven- 

 tion, the cell-breaking and partial fermentation so 

 much dreaded by tea manufacturers who use the 

 ordinary process of withering, we and others shall, 

 of course, wait with great interest the final result 

 of today's experiment and of the more perfect 

 carrying-out of the process by the finished machines 

 which are shortly expected in the island. The 

 heat, we ought to have stated, was 140^ when the 

 leaf was put into the witherer ; it rose spedily, after 

 the door at the end was shut, to 160* 

 and this was the height sustained until 

 towards the end when Mr. Gow said he wished to 

 see it up to 180^ Having heard so much of the 

 cell breaking, we confess we were somewhat 

 surprised to see how little in external appearance 

 and to the feel, but for the great heat, the 

 withered and partially fermented leaf differed from 

 leaf withered by being spread at the rate of 1 lb. of 

 green leaf to (5 feet of superficial space and operated 

 on merely by atmospheric air of a shade temperature 

 as is usually the case. When we are satisfied that leaf 

 withered by Mr. Gow's process, makes good tea ; then 

 the (question will arise how far the withering machines 

 (and at what comparative cost) will supersede the 

 enormous stores, with numerous floors and multitudi- 

 nous Hessian web shelves, which are now deemed 

 necessary for withering purposes. Of course longer 

 machines can be built to take in more than 200 lb. 

 at a fill and we suppose much less time than 

 the hour occupied today, will suffice for the 

 withering process. If the work is well done and 

 speedily, then, of course, will arise the question 

 of price. Our impression at present is that Gow's 

 withering machines are not so much likely to super 

 sede withering floors and webs (Mr, Gow prefers 

 wire or small mesh fishing nets,) as to prove 

 useful adjuncts to existing appliances in high and 

 cold or VBry wet districts. In the Kelani Valley, 

 too frequently, the heat of the atmosphere is so 

 intense, that the tea leaf is withered prematurely. 

 In wet and cold districts on the other hand, planters 

 this past season especially were driven almost to des- 

 pair by seeing their leaf still unwitheredon the fourth 

 and even the fifth day after plucking. It would 

 seem that it is in the latter class of places that 

 Gow's Witherer, if really a success and attainable 

 at a moderate cost, is likely to be chiefly used, 



■!-Lj p. )ii. We have now to add that the tea, 

 which was not fermented in the usual fashion 

 before being put into the roller, took a very 

 good roll. It was then ronstcd under diOiculties, 

 by means of two traya and the sloping lube of 

 an American Evaporator, All the tea showed a 

 fine colour in leaf and cup, and that which was 

 perfectly dried gave a good liquor. In answer to 

 our remark that it was " very fair tea under 

 the circumstances," a leading Colombo Tea Taster 

 said, " It is very good tea under the circum- 

 stonces." Samples are to be sent to the brokci'3 

 and to the press, so that we shafl be able in a 

 succeeding issue to give the final verdict, 



■*• 



THE ,SALE 01' CEYLON TEA IN LONDON- 

 The information sent to us by our London Cor- 

 respondent by this mail detailing arrangements 

 that have been made by well known Ceylon men 

 for the sale of our island teas in the Metropolis 

 and elsewhere throughout England will be deei^pcl 



