April i. 



1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



7S9 



♦ 



To the Editor of the " Ceylon Observer.' 

 JUTE CULTIVATION. 



Walkerston, Mackay, 1st Jan. 1885. 



Sir, —Would you kindly through the medium of your 

 paper give myself and a few others here interested an 

 account of the cultivation of jute? 



1st. The olass of soil most suitable, how wrought to 

 give the largest return ? 



2nd. How is the crop dealt with as it progresses t 



3rd. Is the crop raised from seed, or how ? 



4th. What is about the average weight of crop per 

 acre, and the average value per ton ? 



5tb. How is the crop dealt with when cut down ? 

 and what are the symptoms when ready for cutting ? 



If you would kindly answer these questions, and 

 give us any other particulars, necessary for the starting 

 of jute cultivation which we purpose doing here if 



vour answers should so warrant us. 



* GEORGE K. AITKEN. 



[Our correspondent will find some information on jute 

 cultivation and preparation in the first volume of the 

 Tropical Agriculturist.— Ed.] 



THE AMERICAN EVAPORATOR. 

 Vineland, N. J., U. S. A., 5th Jan. 1885. 

 Gentlemen, — Accept my especial thanks for the 

 lengthy and favourable notice of the "American" 

 represented in Ceylon by Messrs. W. H. Davies & Co. 

 on my behalf. On the part of my Company I con- 

 vey their thanks also, as they especially appreciate 

 the courtesy if only from the fict that it emanates 

 from " Britishers, " and it took some pains to assure 

 them on my part that no feeling of opposition would 

 be found among English plauters to American in- 

 ventions, as they at first feared that prejudice would 

 exist on that score. As an Englishman, it is difficult 

 to understand how such an idea cau exist ; but, never- 

 theless so it is among many here, who only look on 

 " J. B." as a hereditary foe. 



By this mail I addressed Mt-ssrs. W. H. Davies & Co., 

 asking them to request you kindly to insert a correction 

 on some points, as a justice to the "American, " notably 

 that of cost. A reference to the advertisement in the 

 Agriculturist shows our No. 3 as priced in Colombo 

 at R750. Davidson's No. 3 "Sirocco" is priced in 

 Englaud at £90. Our quotation here for No. 3 is 

 $250 ; and experientia docit, for we intecd landing 

 our machines in Ceylon at, a much lower rate of 

 freight than we did in our initial shipments. 



From what I see of No. 3 " Sirocco," I agree with 

 you that, for work comparison, it is the one to com- 

 pete in trial against " American" No. 3, bat (or price 

 the parallel is wauting, and I trust you kindly will 

 note this when commenting on a future competition. 



You evidently understand that the " American " is 

 not an experiment or new affair, as it has a record 

 of 17 years and sales of over 9,000 machines and has 

 obatined over 400 medals, diplomas and awards, as 

 the drier par excellence in this country. I obtained 

 information of many since my arrival in America, but 

 they hold no rank as evaporators when pitted against 

 the "American." We will await the result of a 

 practical trial of the " American " (N3) agaiust a 

 " Siroceo" No. 3 with interest, and all we ask is a 

 " fair iield and no favour, may the best win." 



Tea appears to be indeed " booming " in Ceylon, 

 and I almost now wish Iliad stayed thereon my way 

 home from Assam, but my wife and children being 

 in England ahead of me prevented me. 



Wishing you the compliments of the season, I am, 

 gentlemen, yours faithfully, 

 fe VICTOR M, HOLXINSYVORTH. 



Colombo, 5th Jan. 1884. 

 One or two minor defects which however do not materi- 

 ally interfere with the drying process should be remedied 

 at once, and these are the unprotected wood of that part 

 of the trunk resting on the stove — this should be cased 

 in iron both inside and out — and the close proximity of 

 the funnel to the trunk, which should at least run two 

 feet away from the stove before it points upwards, as 

 in its present position it is likely to char the wood when 

 the former becomes red-hot through the fierce fire em- 

 ployed in tea drying. The construction of the stove leaves 

 nothing to be desired. 



Mackstone, 12th Jan. 1885. 

 Messrs. W. H. Davies & Co., Colombo. 



Dear Sirs,- I have made soveral experiments with the 

 fruit e vaporator No. 2 forwarded to this estate for my 

 report thereon, and I come to the conclusion that it would 

 answer as a tea drier, if it is slightly altered. I have 

 compared its work also occasionally with that of the sirocco 

 No. 1 in use here, when such comparison could be fairly 

 instituted, seeing that the No. 2 evaporator is a small 

 one o f its kiud and the sirocco a no ordinary stove. 



At the first two or three trials, the results, as you 

 may well expect, were not satisfactory, which should bo 

 ascribed less to the defocts in the drier than to the 

 fact that there were difficulties to overcome in convert- 

 ing into a new use an instrument originally designed for 

 a far coarser operation than tea making. Even a strict 

 adherence to the instructions were not expected to guar- 

 antee success. 



On the 30th ultimo I had the good fortune to have the 

 kind assistance of Messrs. Armstrong of Kookwood, J. A. 

 Campbell of Waltorim, T. Scovell of Adam's Peak, P. R. Shand 

 of Ooolbawn, and A. Scovell of Strathellie. I can 

 hardly say that the results were satisfactory. There 

 was altogether such a want of uniformity on the 

 occasion as to lead me to write to you my first letter, 

 in which I said the results were discouraging. After one 

 or two trials made again, I wrote to you not to publish 

 my first till I experimented further. I have now come 

 to the conclusion that the admirably contrived little stove 

 and the advantages of the inclined flue cau be turned to 

 good account. I remember Mr. Armstrong on the first 

 occasion calling my attention to the draft at the upper 

 end of flue and saying : " Why, the heat here seems greater 

 than in the ' sirocco, ' " and he was right. And this is 

 just what I have now to point out as a principal fault 

 iu the evaporator as at present designed. 



The temperature was so high at this point simply 

 because it did not take up enough of the moisture from 

 the "roll" in its passage, to make quick work of the 

 firing. And now I came to the defects in the drier 

 which you ask me to point out, iu order that you may 

 forward my report to the makers. 



The principal fault is that a large proportion of 

 the hot air is permitted to pass between and 

 above the trays, every breath of which can easily 

 be utilized, and should be, before the evaporator 

 can be called an unqualified success. If I may suggest, I 

 think, that, by covering the upper end of the inclined Hue 

 and opening the top all along, the air can be made to pass 

 through the trays. 



The partition between the upper and lower compartment 

 should be removed, I think, and there be left but one com- 

 partment with strips of wood running along the sides, for 

 the trays to slide upon, the upper independently of the 

 lower set. Over the stove an iron plate in a line with 

 the lower trays, or an inch or two below, will turn the air 

 into the flue tunder the trays. It may be remarked, that 

 when thus aeered and modified, the evaporator would bear 

 a strong genhral resemblance to the new " sirocco." But 

 one cannot elp saying that the new " sirocco " bears a 

 very strong — I had almost said significant — general resembl- 

 ance te the older evaporator flue. The point of differ- 

 ence would lie in the one being horizontal and the other 

 inclined, and it is the inclined flue that is protected by a 

 patent in the evaporator. Then, as regards the dropping 

 of the tips (pekoe tips) into the truuk and being left 

 abandoned there till the end of the day's work, by simply 

 nailing fine wire gauze, or even tray cloth, to the bottom 

 of the trays, which, you will observe, have wood about two 

 inches deep on the sides, the tips can be made to travel 

 along with the trays and taken out with the tea. 



