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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[January i, 1885 



The above information will, I know, satisfy and glad- 

 den the hearts of many possessors of tea, or laud intended 

 for the culture of the plant at high elevations. I am con- 

 fident, that, if no unforeseen circumstances intervene, 

 the returns of the present year will show a still better 

 result, and that tea is destined to be a grand success 

 in Ceylon equally at high elevations as at lower 

 levels.— Yours truly, Messrs. Editors and brother- 

 planters, A. M. FERGUSON, Jr. 



P.S. — Any honest and open comments on the above 

 will be freely answered to the best of my ability. 



It is only right to say that the picking which 

 yielded the average of over 500 per acre, was re- 

 stricted to the bud, the first developed leaf 

 and half of the second leaf. Mr. Thomson of the 

 great Loudon Tea Firm said " If you get 500 per 

 acre of such tea, the yield is very good." 



TEA DRIERS. 



Colombo, 7th Jan. 1885. 

 SlE, — In your issue of the 5th inst. we notice 

 Mr. Kinmond's letter, and in reply thereto we can 

 only again point out to planters, that, notwithstand- 

 ing the recent reduction in the price of Kinmond's 

 driers, there is still a difference of over 40 per cent, in 

 favour of the No. 3 t-'irocco, without taking into con- 

 sideration the cost of motive power, the possibility of 

 an occasional break-down of the steam engine and 

 the liabilily of the pans to get out of order. It J 

 is generally admitted by planters in Ceylon and 

 India that the Sirocco takes fiist place as regards 



the qxahty and flavour of its tea, and in confirm, 

 ation f this we can only refer to the fact of nearly 

 B00 machines being in use. Indeed it has been 

 stated by an authority that all the other machines 

 n the market put together have not reached so 

 large a sale as the Sirocco. With regard to the 

 only two advantages Mr. Kinmond mentions in favour 

 01 bis machine, a saving of fuel and space, are they 

 equal to those we claim for the Sirocco ? Planters 

 have unmistakably given their verdict. Where you 

 will rind 60 Siroccos at work today in Ceylon you 

 will not fand half-a-dozen Kinmonds, although they 

 have been before the public for many years past. - 

 Yours faithfully, W . H. DA VIES & Co. 



A New Tea Company.— The Eastern Dooars Tea 

 company, Limited, has just been registered. It is 

 formed to acquire tea gardens, plantations, factories 

 &c known as Tamai, Hat, and Mornai River Tea 

 estates, in G-oalpara, Assam, and to carry on all the 

 business connected with same, &c. Capitol, .£20 000 

 divided into 500 shares of £10 and 1,500 deferred 

 shares of £10 each— Home and Colonial Mail. 



A New Industry.— It has often been a cause of wonder 

 wny the fane flavoured cocoa grown in the island of Trinidad 

 was not manufactured into chocolate on the snot, instead 

 of being being all sent to Europe for that purpose, and 

 returned there ,n that form for their own consumption at 

 a much higher price, and to a certain degree of deterior- 

 ate,! quality The problem has at last been successfully 

 solved by the manufactory established there under the 

 management of Mr. J. Schseffer. With the appliance of 

 the latest and best description of machinery chocolate of 

 the choicest quality is made in Port of Spain from the 

 finest cocoa grown in Trinidad and Venezuela, equal in 

 very respect to the Menier brand which has acquired such 

 eworld-wide reputation. —Colonics and India. 



Tfa rollers. — Readers familiar with tea machinery 

 will have seen that in the letter from the Hills 

 in yesterday's paper, the names of Jackson's rollers 

 were transposed. It is the smaller one made for 

 power which is called the "Universal," the larger 

 being styled the "Exoelsior." The latter machine 

 generally requires engine-power, we are told, a water- 

 wheel of 16 feet not being of sufficient power to work 

 it ; wheels of 21 to 30 feet, indeed, being taxed to 

 their utmost to perform the tusk. Turbines have the 

 advantage in this respect. Meantime, we are told that 

 the Jackson's band-roller manufactured by Messrs. 

 John Walker & (Jo. when adapted to water-power and 

 withcertaiu improvements, is calculated to do as much 

 work as the " Universal." 



Tea Planting in Maskeliya.— We are glad to 

 learn that Mr. H. IX Deane has eo much faith in the 

 future of tea in this district that he has bought his 

 father out of Kintyre. est te at the rate of £14,500 

 sterling : the price is a large one, but there is good 

 reason to ho(_e that Kiutyre will turn out a 

 second Mariawattie. The young tea is coming on 

 very well, and Mr. Deane has started a central 

 factory here in conjunction with Messrs. Rath- 

 bone Brothers of London and Liverpool who we are 

 very glad to learn, are turning their attention to 

 Ceylon tea and who are represented in the island by 

 Mr. A. R. Blandy who has had eight years' ex- 

 perience in China as buyer and taster and five years in 

 the Lane." Mr. Deane further hopes in a fortnight 

 to have a No. 3 Sirocco at work as well as a Gore's 

 Sifter. It will b» interesting to wactch the development 

 of the great industry in Maskeliya. 



THAT HUSBAND OF MINE 

 Is three times the man he was before he began using 

 "Wells' Health Renevver." Druggists. W. E. Smith & Co,, 

 Madras, Sole Agents. 



