January i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



597 



MR- C. SHAND'S PATENT TEA DRYER. 



Mr. Shand has sent us the following description 

 of his invention for drying tea, and the questions 

 wliich occur to us are : — Is it really impossible . by 

 means of steam to over-heat, though we may not, 

 Indeed, cannot "fire-burn" tea; and when a boiler 

 is employed to generate steam, do we become quite 

 independent of the care and judgment of coolies and 

 avoid the necessity of uninterrupted European super- 

 vision ? Will not a thermometer be necessary to 

 indicate the proper degi'ee of lieat ; will it not re- 

 quii'e close watching ; and will there not be danger 

 of the boiler exploding if neglected ? The danger 

 may be reduced to a minimum, but we should be 

 glad of proof that it cannot exist : — 



The barbacue-shaped steam-heated tea-di'yer is the 

 cheapest, most economical ami safest drying machine. 



As this machine can be made any length and mdth 

 the quantity of leaf which can be manufactured is only, 

 limited by the extent of thrying surface. One, five feet 

 wide, and fifteen feet long, will admit of about forty 

 pounds of tea being spread as thinly as on sirocco trays, 

 and, if heated to cue hundred and fifty degrees Fahren- 

 heit, would dry a maund per hour. The steam for heat- 

 ing thin galvanized iron drying surface is generated 

 in the space (3 inches) between it and the thin boiler 

 plate bottom. 



The machine, which is made steam-tight, is partially 

 filled with water, and placed on a fire stove. It is evident 

 that a comparatively small quantity of fuel wi]l generate 

 sufficient steam to heat a large surface, especially if the 

 smoke flue is placed under the whole length of the 

 machine. 



As it is impossible to fire-burn the tea, dried by the 

 steam-heated dryer, the enormous advantage of being in- 

 dependent of the care and judgment of cooUes, and of 

 the necessity of uninterrupted Eiu'opeau supervision, is 

 too evident to require comment. 



Colombo, 7th December 1882. 

 [Then comes the figure of the dryer with the fol- 

 lowing note : — 



Barbecue-shaped tea-dryer, the far end should be slightly 

 higher than that over the fire to allow the space over 

 it to be full of water. 



An apparatus for escape of steam and supplying water 

 is inserted in the end plate covering the boiler.] 



THE LIME AND LIME JUICE. 



A Ceylon resident now in England, having noticed 

 a query put by a correspondent in a recent issue 

 regarding the lime and the profitability of its cultiv- 

 ation, has sent us a little pamphlet, entitled "Ihe 

 Island of Montserrat, West Indies, its History and 

 Development, chiefly as regards its Lime Tree Plant- 

 ations ; with a short description of Lime-Fruit Juice 

 and its use as a Medicinal Agent and as a Bever- 

 age." The pamphlet opens with a description of the 

 island, as follows : — 



" The little island of Montserrat, considered the 

 most healthy of the Aniilles, situated in 16° 45' north 

 latitude, and" 61° west longitude, and about eight miles 

 in length from north to south, by a breadth of five 

 miles fi-om east to we,st, is composed of a small cluster 

 of volcanic mouniain tops, rising out of the Carribean 

 ,Sea to the heiphf of 3,000 feet, the summits being 

 more often concealed by floating clouds. These higii 

 mountains seem to protect Montserrat from the hurri- 

 canes which desolate the neit;hhouring islands, as tlie 

 forests ensure a rainfall when tliose islands are suffer- 

 ing from still more disastrous drought. The slopes 

 from the hills to the sia are covered with emerald 

 cane fields, or with the darker verdure of tlie lime 

 orchards." 

 76 



After a short summary of the history of the island 

 from its discovery in 1493 down to the present century, 

 the writer says ; — 



" The first lime tree orchards were planted in 1852, 

 by Mr. Burke, an enterprizing planier then living in 

 the island, but the speculation was at first' by no 

 means protitable, as this is an enterprize that involves 

 a large outlay of capital, which is f"r a number of 

 years unproductive, and even then only renuinerative 

 on a large scale; although the low rate of wages and 

 extent of uncultivated 1 ind on a salubrious climate 

 renders the island of Montserrat particularly suitable 

 for the purpose. 



'• Tlie lime tree (Citrus Limetla) is a member of 

 the orange tribe, which grows wild iu many tropical 

 countries, but does not flourish even so far north as 

 the Azores. It is a thorny, bushy, eveigrecn tree, 

 with handsome dark-green leaves. The^e are so fra- 

 tjrant that they are uuiver.sally used iu the West 

 Indies to perfume the water in the finf;er. glasses at 

 dessert. The small white flowers resemble orange 

 blossom, and the scent is equally delicious. 



" TliC plaiilations of the Montserrat Conipan;! already 

 cover more than 600 acres, and contain • MOfiQO trees. 

 These are generally planted fifteen feet apart, and 

 the high road passes through them for a distance of 

 more than two miles. No more beautiful sight can 

 be seen than these orchards, whm the trees are laden 

 with their bright fruit, and at the same time the 

 air is pervaded by the luscious fragrance of the blossom. 

 The fruit is gathered by the negro women, and they 

 carry it down in baskets on their heads, 



" The important antiscorbutic properties of lime- 

 juice have been well known for muny years, and the 

 refreshing lemonade which is mide by mixing it with 

 water and sugar is universally used in countries where 

 the tree grows. The bulk of the lime-juice that is 

 offered in the English market (and from which, i most 

 lime-juice cordials are manufactured) is made from 

 the fruit of the trees that now grow wild so abund- 

 antly in Jamaica, Tahiti, and elsewhere. In some 

 parts of Jamaica the negroes go about the country 

 squeezing the fruit tbey find under the scatiered trees 

 into a pail with a wooden kitchen lemon-squeezer. 

 This juice is bought by the merchants for a few 

 pence a gallon. As lime juice decomposes very rapidly 

 when exposed to the atmoephere in a tropical climate, 

 and acquires a disagreeable taste in a few hours, un- 

 less the air is excluded from it, it may easily be 

 imagined that the juice so obtained does rot please 

 the English con^uuier, even if it had not, ai is some- 

 times the case, been adulterated with salt water by 

 the negroes to incease its bulk. In fact, until the 

 introduction of the Montserrat juice, lime-juice was 

 not popular as a beverage, on account of the mawkish 

 t.aste which, as explained above, it so often carried 

 with it. 



"In order to ensure a regular supply of juice of 

 reliable quality, extensive lime plantations were estab- 

 lished more than twenty years ago, by Messrs. Sturge, 

 of Birmingham, in the island of Montserrat; where 

 alone is Ihe lime systematically cultivated on a large 

 scale for the purpose of supplying juice as a beverage 

 til the English market. 



"This juice is brought over iu large casks to this 

 country, when, after being allowed to settle, it is 

 clarified and bottled." 

 The writer also states that 



"Since the introduction of Montserrat lime-fruit 

 juice, lime-juice or cordials prepared therefrom have 

 undoubtedly become most popular beverages, and the 

 fact that over 80,000 gallons are imported yearly from 

 Montserrat shows the estimation they are now 

 held in, and the important trade_ that has been 

 developed." 



