September i, 1884.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



179 



with a revolving drum, 18 inches in diameter and 12 

 inches wide. The drum is fitted with a series of 

 beaters, which pass near to the edge of a feeding 

 table, the drum being covered in by an iron hood. 

 From beneath the feeding table a thin sheet of water 

 is made to play in a constant stream, against the 

 drum, at a certain pressure and angle. This con- 

 stitutes the whole apparatus. The fibrous plants are 

 fed in by hand, and are simply held up to the beaters 

 by a cushion, or backing of water, by which means 

 the fibre is freed from extraneous matter in a re- 

 markably short time, and produce iu excellent cond- 

 ition. The machine is suited to treat any descrip- 

 tion of fibre, and all are treated in the most perfect 

 and satisfactory manner, no matter whether thick or 

 thin, the cushion of water accommodating itself to 

 : :e of the material acted upon. A double machiuo 

 will turn out from HO to 250 lb, of clean fibre in 

 a day, according to the skill with which it is used 

 Dr. Forbes Watson sets the cost of the mechanical 

 process of cleaning a ton of fibre at from £7 to £9. 

 The ten double machines on the Glenrock estate, 

 will be driven by the power erected fur working the 

 quart-crashers, and there is ample room in the build- 

 ings for drying and treatment. The mills for the 

 present will be kept employed on the indigenous jungle 

 fibres of which, as wo have Btated, immense quantities 

 are available throughout the Company's lauds. — Madra 

 Weekly Mail, July 15th. 



TEA CULTIVATION IN UVA. 

 It is well-known that the gentleman who lias a 

 leading voice iu the management of the two great 

 Uva coffee companies decided strongly iu favour of 

 " going into tea " after a full examination of all 

 the circumstances, including the soil and climate of 

 the principality. It may not be equally pateut that 

 an agent of one of the greatest firms iu London 

 aul the world, who have large interests in Ceylon, 

 sent out here with carte blanche, decided that 2,000 

 acres of properties, a good proportion of which are 

 in Uva, should be put down at once in tea. In an 

 interesting and encouraging report from Haputale 

 which we publish elswhere, our correspondent tells of 

 the progress of cacao and tea planting in the district and 

 specially mentions the flourishing condition of tea 

 bushes growing on a piece of poor patana. They 

 are laden with seed, and, if the bushes are euabli d 

 to elaborate seed from the poor patana soil, we 

 need not doubt their powers of flushing should they 

 be pruued aud grown for leaf. But in talking of 

 the cultivation of the patauas of Uva, we contemp- 

 lated neither sterile nor poor patanas, but uooiis 

 and corners of low-lying, comparatively rich-soiled 

 aud sheltered pieces of grass laud, of which tens of 

 thousands of acres exist in the valleys which score 

 the principality and which will yet be cultivated 

 with cacao and tea. The grass-lands we refer to may 

 not have soil quite equal to that of the grass-lands 

 of Southern India on which lea and cinchonas 

 flourish, but the climate of Uva is immensely super- 

 ior. Aud let the fact be keot in view thai even 

 comparatively poor patauas can be rendered fertile by 

 turning up and aenfyiug of the soil and tte add- 

 ing to it of the cattle-manure which can be pro- 

 cured in good quantity close at hand, not to 

 speak of ial manures which the railwaj 



will carry up. Wi ten, professing to 



be iricuds to Uva while they arc really its 

 id sneer at the i 



o stake our 

 ..Lieu foi - a and prevision on the 



assertion which wo deliberately make, that, if the 

 railway is only extended to Haputale, this generation 

 will see many comparatively large tracts of patauas 

 cultivated with cacao and tea by Europeans while 

 native patches will count by thousands all around. 

 There would be little difficulty in arranging that 

 both cacao-beans and t°a-leaf should be carried from 

 the native gardens to central faotories for curing. 



BECHE-DE-MER SOUP. 



[A good deal of b'che-dn-mrr being exported fi 

 Ceylon, our readers will be interested in knowin 

 the uses it is put to. — Ed. ] 



Sir, — In your answers to correspondents, 24th May, 

 in reply to "X" you stato_: "The method of 

 making beche-de-mer soup is known only to the 

 Chinese, who appear unwilling to divulge it. " 

 is not correct. The fact is, the class of Chinese who 

 come to the colonies seem quite ignorant as to 

 preparation, and do not use it at all but exp 

 all to China, where it is used only by the hi 

 class. From what I can learn it is not made into 

 soup, but boiled with fowl, pork, &c, and 

 attempts I have seen male by the Chinese merchan 

 when specially asked resulted in a mess not at all 

 palatable, the fish being in lumps. Beche-de mer, 

 when properly soaked and cleaned, is perfectly taste- 

 less. It is pure gelatine, and I believe one of tho 

 most nutritious articles of diet known. The follow 

 ing recipe may be of use to " X " and others. I have 

 seen it followed by several good Cbineso cooks : — 



For say ten persons make soup in the ordinary 

 way, of beef, &c. Take two teat fish of go id quality, 

 or a corresponding quantity of black or red lisli. 9i a 

 in water from twelve to twenty-four hours, thoroughly 

 scrape aud clean from time to time, changing the 

 water as required, as it swells greatly. The result 

 will be a glutinous-looking mass, like lumps of 

 jelly. Boil separately for five or six hours ; take 

 out and cut or mince up very fine. About a quarter 

 of an hour before serving add this to the soup, and 

 let it boil. There must not be any vegetables. Mince 

 or egg balls are a desirable addition, also sherry, 

 &c., to taste. This gives a body to the soup, which 

 if left over will be almost a jelly when cold. I 

 believe if this article became understood i.t would be 

 used all over the world, especially for invalids, as it 

 is very strengthening, and, although anything but 

 nice looking in its dry state, it is a very delicate 

 article of diet when properly treated. It make* a 

 spleudid addition to beef-tea, and I Would call the 

 attention of medical men to this fact. Ir. is seen 

 in the above foim frequently used in the clubs aud 

 leading hotels iu Melbourne and Sydney. — I am, 

 sir, &c, F. J. W. B. 



— Queenslander. 



THE WORKING EXPENDITURE OF COFFEE 

 ESTATES. 



The present state of the coffee market, and the inal 

 of mercantile houses to advance against growing crops tr. 

 sucb an extent as has been gone for some years past, is 

 causing great anxiety to those of our community 

 are dependent on such assistance to work their I 

 "It's an ill win that blaws nae body guid," and I feel 

 sure that if tho present serious crisis is met rightly i 

 valuable experience at least must follow. I woul I 

 bark some twenty three years when coffei pel 



ton; the rupeo Zs3d sterling, and the rate of in 

 charged ou n for estate working 10 per 



cent, to 12 pi 1 



i . , I . 8d . and inten 



I i . i tgo men 



i : I Eortably, and 



ir possessions from the profits ;.at 



