OCTOBLR I, 1884.J 



Tlir TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



3°* 



those in Malabar, but for several months at first they 

 were absolutely iille, and many seem to be failures still. 

 Yet to close them for this reason alone would do away 

 with all prospects of future success. The Polaram and 

 Pudimadaka yards, in Vizagapatam, were avoided in the 

 same way for many months after their establishment. 

 The first fish cured there was brought in the latter part 

 of the half-year ending 30th September 1883, but during 

 the half-year which has just passed, they' cured 1,450 

 maunds and 1,846 mauuds of fish, respectively. This, how- 

 ever, is not the invariable cause. It was not to be ex- 

 pected that officers with no experience of the fishing 

 trade could avoid placing yards in the wrong position oc- 

 casionally, and many have been idle in consequence of 

 mistakes of the kind which can only be found out by 

 experience, but steps are being taken to weed out all 

 such. In fact, this has been done in the Northern Di- 

 vision, all the yards now maintained in which have, as. 

 far as can be seen, all the necessary elements of success 

 Fifteen of those referred to were within its limits. Se- 

 veral of these have since been abolished or removed to 

 better sites. 



MACHINERY FOR PLANTATIONS. 



[In quoting what follows from the Supplement to the 

 European Mail, we feci bound to say that there is, 

 as yet, no s itisfactory evidence that the fibre machine 

 is the success it is represented to be. — E"D.] 



Towards the close of last year brief reference was made 

 in these columns to the new fibre-cleaning machine in- 

 Tented by Mr. H. 0. Smith, which, at the suggestion of 

 Dr. Forbes Watson, was successfully applied tc the pre- 

 paration of rheea. Practical experiments subsequently 

 conducted with this appliance by Dr. Forbes Watson, 

 both at home and in India, have so amply confirmed the 

 favourable opinion formed by experts in regard to it that 

 we deem a more detailed description of its character and 

 purpose will prove acceptable to our readers. In the 

 first place, we may say that the value of the machine 

 is by no means confined to one quarter of the globe, for 

 it extracts and cleans the fire, not only of rheea, but ol 

 jute, hemp, agave, pine-apple, and the phormium teuax, 

 or New Zealand flax, as well as all other fibre-pro- 

 ducing stalks and leaves, when treated in a green 

 and freshly-cut state. Hitherto a difficulty has been 

 experienced in preserving the natural whiteness of the 

 fibre from discoloration by the sap or juices which 

 exude from the growing plants. By the new machine 

 these juices are at once washed out of the fibre 

 by means of a thin sheet or flattened jet of water, the 

 quantity and force used being regulated according to the 

 condition of the leaf or stem operated upon. This jet or 

 stream of water plays upon the fibres, at the same time 

 holds them up to the action of the beaters, forming a 

 species of elastic cushion or backing of water during the 

 operation. This is not only a rapid but a peculiarly econom- 

 ical process. The whole ot the pieces, as well as the 

 green bark and the broken up stalks of the exogenous plants, 

 and the pulpy and the other adherent matters of en- 

 dogenous fibre-yielding leaves are at once removed, and the 

 fibres, of which there is no waste, are extracted hi their 

 natural state, and only require to be dried and baled for 

 exportation. The manipulation of the machine is so simple 

 that it can be readily worked by a ryot or any unskilled 

 native labourer. Moreover, it is particularly well adapted 

 for use in different countries, from its extreme durability 

 and freedom from liability to get out of repair An 

 illustration which we append will show the general 

 appearance of the machine, which we may say, 

 preniises, by giving considerable commercial value to 

 several hitherto unmanageable fibrous plants, to mark a 

 new era in the prosperity of Indian and colonial planters. 

 The sale of the machine lies in the hands of the General 

 Fibre Company (Limited), of 141 Fenchurch Street, Lon- 

 don, who also furnish the necessary plant, engines, mills, 

 baling presses, horse gear, &c, for the establishment of 

 fibre lactones on any required scale. In this the company, 

 who have the assistance in their operations of the counsel 

 of Dr. Forbes Watson, who acts as their technical and 

 scientific adviser, as well as Major-General Frederic 

 Cotton, R. E., c. s. t, Mr. W. E. Death, and other eompet- j 



ent engineers, furnish general machinery for colouia 

 farms and plantations. Their list includes one or two 

 appliances of peculiar character and value, which are also 

 deserving of mention here. Martin's new patent rici and 

 general grain decorticator, manufactured bv \V. .1 8 O.J 

 Burges, and which is sold only by this" company, is 

 claimed by them to be the most perfect appliance yel 

 introduced for decorticating shelled rice, Egyptian dari, 

 Indian jowaree, and Bajra wheal, and all similar grains, 

 whose outer skin or cuticle should be removed before 

 being used for food It is made in three sizes, tor band, 

 steam, and bullock power respectively, and the smallest 

 implement, which is easily driven by two men, decorticati s 

 per hour from £ cwt. to 1 cwt. of rice.dari, or wheat, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the grain. Its leading charac- 

 teristics are the slight power required to drive it— a feature 

 borne out by the statement just made ; the equality with 

 which each grain is decorticated, and the saving in breakage, 

 the damage in the case of some grains being almost nil. 

 To these recommendations are to be added the special 

 simplicity of its construction, its durability, and the fact 

 that the material from which it is made adapts the mill 

 to any extreme climate. .Another appliance worthy of 

 note is a patent safety bullock gear, in which has been 

 overcome the two great difficulties in the way of produc- 

 ing a satisfactory bullock gear, namely the slow step of these 

 animals as compared with the horse, and the unevenuess and 

 unsteadiness of their walk. The construction of this gear, is 

 based upou lines indicated by Dr. Forbes, the late Cotton 

 Commissioner to the Government of Bombay, as also upon the 

 suits of a series of trials recently carried out by Dr. Forbes 

 Watson, both in England and in India, and of experiments by 

 Mr. A. Stormout, the Superintendent of the Government 

 Experimental Farm in Khandesh, in tho Bombay Presid- 

 ency. To quote the company's own words, which afford the 

 best description of Ihe appliance, " with the gear worked by 

 bullocks travelling at the rate of one mile and a quarter 

 per hour, the lay-shaft gives ICO revolutions per minute, a 

 speed equal to that obtained with steam, whilst steadiness 

 in working and the full effects of the exertion of the animals 

 are ensured from the manner in which they are yoked. 

 Steadiness, with a minimum amount of friction, combined 

 with durability and safety, is also secured by the perfect 

 balancing and adjustment of the main gearing. By having 

 the whole of the main working parts enclosed in a cast- 

 iron cylinder, the entrance of grit and dirt, so objection- 

 able in all open gears, is prevented, and safety to itself and 

 to the cattle and work ensured, whilst at the same time 

 access to the interior for lubrication or other purposes may 

 be readily obtained." The gear is arranged for using from 

 two to six bullocks, according to the work required. It is 

 also admirably suited for hard. labour in prisons, the amount 

 of pressure exerted by each man being indicated by a gauge. 

 Among other appliances ot the General Fibre Company 

 (Limited), to which we have not space to referat length is 

 an improved " Persian wheel " water-lift, constructed on 

 the principle widely adopted in India, Egypt, dpain, &'c. 

 for raising water by means of bullock or other animal power, 

 and an emery patent saw cotton-gin, which was awarded, 

 at the Calcutta Exhibition, a first-class certificate and silver 

 medal — the highest award tor cotton-ginning machines — 

 and which has subsequently been considerably improved by 

 the addition of a new patent condenser. 



PROSPECTS OF COFFEE PLANTING IN 



WYNAAD. 



I would ask my fellow coff'e planters to aid nie, 

 through your columns, with their views as to the 

 future of that industry, which is at present th support 

 cf ourselves, our wives and children. I have just 

 completed an examination of the prices realized for 

 the past season's coffee from my own estate, and 

 that of several neighbours, and I find that, after allow- 

 ing for exchange, I have secured under R600 per 

 ton on hoard a ship in India; and from this we must 

 deduct the ciop and curing expmses there is, say, 

 R45U left me, or a shade ..vtr P.22 per cwt. There 

 are two great points to look to : 1st. — What weight 

 of crops can I calculate oti ? 2nd. — What price may 



