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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [February a, 1885. 



riant !) roller is back in Ceylon, I hear. His roller 

 seems to he doing a fairly good work. It has certain 

 merits. But there is room for improvement in the 

 twist: a tighter twist is wanted. Tbeie is no doubt 

 the tips are preserved by this roller. But I will not 

 enter into a criticism here yet. He is substituting 

 studs for battens, and may improve matters. ''Maria- 

 watte" " Blackstone " and " Galbodde " may be 

 able to testify to its merits shortly. I confess, however, 

 I like the look of the "Challenge" in a factory, 

 like a bass drum. There is no energy or force 

 wasted in its motion, rotary, and as easy as greased 

 wheels can well be. But then its twist; "aye 

 there 'a the rub " (falling far short of the rubbing 

 done by the cooly at present!) which discour- 

 ages us 



" And makes us rather bear the ills we have 

 Than fly to others that we know not of." 

 Mr. Thompson had better look to his laurels — his 

 "rub." Then we have the little "Jackson" by 

 Walker. I have it on high authority that it is even 

 better, if possible, in its work thau the "Universal." 

 More easy in motion, and of reasonable capacity 

 lor small gardens. 



"Kerr" flourishes, but little "Jackson" is press- 

 ing hard. Kinmond — we do not hear very much 

 of this machine. Why what 's wrong about it ? There 

 should be free discussion and register of results, 

 not mere puffing advertisements. I am sure we 

 should write more frequently on machinery, so as to 

 keep our brother-planters informed, for the com- 

 mon weal of Ceylon. Our interests are identical ! 

 The planter's and the machinist's, likewise, quite 

 identical ! 



We have had a smart Bhower here on the 10th. 

 The first for the year, worth mentioning. BHt 

 the mercury is rising : hence the dissertation on 

 machinery. 



Those were encouraging returns from Abbotsford. 

 Manure and fork: if manure is not available, fork, 

 should be a standing order. With tea manure acts 

 like a charm. I ascribed my prices last year partly 

 to manuring, and I know of estates with whose 

 leaf even experts will fail to make a high class tea. 

 It is notorious. AGRICOLA. 



[" Agricola " is just the man to help his brother 

 planters to decide on the questions he raises. — 

 Ed.] 



Nuwaka Eliya, 16th Jan. — This picturesque spot is 

 looking its very best, and I am glad to hear that so 

 many houses are already taken for the race week. 

 Although it may flavour of painting the lily, I 

 venture to thiuk that judicious planting 'of orna- 

 mental tiees (carefully screened from wind till 

 robust) round the lake would add to the beauty of 

 the place. Even bamboos, giant ard various, might 

 be tried ; too high, perhaps you say, anyhow it 

 would be worth a trial. I have grown and floweied 

 so many things at a high elevation, which I had been 

 told "on authority" would not succeed that I would 

 not despair of success. Nobody should omit a visit 

 to Hakgala. It is simply marvellous the transform- 

 ation scene which Mr. Nock is g'adually effecting, 

 even with the miserable pittance dob d out to him 

 lor expenditure. The new rose garden is a bold 

 and effective design : judging by the strength of 

 the plants, the judicious selection of varieties, and 

 the composition laid "fathoms deep" throughout the 

 beds, there ought soon to be a sight to gladden the 

 eyes of every lover of the Queen of Flowers. 

 " Ladies' fingers " are by many esteemed as a vegetable, 

 but in the Hakgala fernery they may easily become 

 an uumitigated nuisance. Verb. sap. 



One of Jackson's Tea-Rollers was exhibited at 

 their works today Jany. 16th) by Messrs. John Walker 

 & Co. It is said to be capable of rolling 1,000 lb. of 

 green leaf a day, driven by four coolies. It occupies 

 a space of about eight feet square, strong and sub- 

 stantial lookmg, and so constructed that it may 

 be driven by machinery. The cost of oue of these roll- 

 ers is about RoOO, and they are rapidly getting into use. 



Old Friends. — An old Colonist and proprietary 

 planter, Mr. Charles Hadden (whose pioneering days 

 m Ambagamuwa we referred to in one of our New 

 Year storie->), has just returned to Ceylon on a visit, 

 which we now trust will .become an annual one, in 

 order to escape the winter aud early spring in Englnud. 

 Mr. Hadden is full of faith in tea— a leaf instead of a 

 seed crop in Ceylon and a plant with a root capable of 

 penetrating any soil. He locks for a great future 

 to the tea-plautiug industry of Ceylon. 



Rosewood trees are found in South America and 

 in the East Indies and neighbouring islands. There 

 are a half doz-n kinds. The name is not taken from 

 the color of the wood, as is genemlly supposed, but 

 by reason of a rose-like fragrance which it possesses 

 when first cut. Some of the trees grow so large that 

 plauks four feet broad and ten feet in length can be 

 cut from them. These broad planks are principally 

 used to make tops for pianofortes. The rosewood tree 

 is remarka'de for its beauty. Such is its value in 

 manufactures as an ornameutal wood that some of 

 the forests where it once grew abundantly have now 

 scarcely a single specimeu. New plantations have 

 been set out, so that the supply will not be ex- 

 hausted. — American Grocer. 



Cinchona Bark Preparation. — We call atten- 

 tention to the paper republished in another column 

 from the pen of Mr. John Hamilton of Messrs. S. 

 Rucker ife Co., to whom Cinchona planters have been 

 so often indebted for timely and useful information. 

 The debt of obligation is specially increased by the 

 present instalment of hints in which Mr. Hamil- 

 ton evidently sums up the result of close ob- 

 servation for a number of years of the bark 

 sales and of the several Ceylon parcels offered with 

 resulting prices. The hints as to the preparation of 

 different parcels and of the different species on the 

 estates are so thoroughly practical, that most planters 

 will keep them at haud as a yuide to future oper- 

 ations. Notwithstanding all past failures; the aid which 

 eiuchona is giving and will vet give to many of our 

 planters, is too considerable not to lead us to wel- 

 come all additions to the stock of practical information 

 requisite to successful preparation. 



A Practical Experience of Kinmond's Dryer. — The 

 following letter has been addressed to our moruing eon- 

 temporary : — Sir, with reference to the relative merits of 

 "Sirocco" versus Kinmond's dryers, which are being dis- 

 cussed in your columns, having had experience of the 

 latter for over a space of twelve mouths, I regret I am un- 

 able to substantiate Mr. Kinmond's statement that his No. 

 2 dryer can turn out two mauuds of pucca tea per hour. 

 My dryer which is a No. 2 is worked by svaterpower, and 

 with the fan running at from 500 to 700 revolutions per 

 minute (the speed advised by the patentee), I cannot get 

 more than 110 lb. of made tea per hour, with the thermo- 

 meter ranging from 280 to 300 degrees, at which latter heat 

 and speed the tea is blistered. 1 fiud that a superior tea is 

 made by a heat of 180 to 200 degrees with the fan running 

 at a much less speed than that stated, and the result is 

 an average outturn of about one mauud per hour. There 

 are a few other No. 2 dryers at work in the island, and it 

 would be satisfactory if those who have them would state if 

 the yean turn out 2 mauuds of really good tea per hour, 

 allowing 4 men to handle the trays, and 2 to teed them, 

 exclusive of stoker. The best dryer will come to the front, 

 be it either Sirocco, Gibbs and Barry, Jackson's or Kin- 

 mond's, in the same way as Jackson's roller has established 

 ti claim to superiority over all others. — David Fair- 

 weateur. — Nawalapitiya, 10th January 18S5. 



