August i, 1S85.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



141 



Tan consists of uitric acid and resins. It can be manu- 

 factured from nitric acid and charcoal. A solution of Gelatin 

 gives a white flucculont precipitate, showing the tannin in 

 tea, aud ferric acid, \vhich can be made from iron tilings dis- 

 solved in warm cilute uitric acid, gives a blue-black pre- 

 cipitate. 



Certain couibiualiuus of Tannin absorb oxygen from the 

 air :ind turn black and all substances containing tannic 

 acid turn black wheu brought in contact with iron. 

 The following experiments may be of interest : — 



Makes the Outturn 

 Added to Roll. 

 Chlorate of Potash ...dulls the tips, 

 Carbonate of Am- 

 monia ...improves „ 

 Tannic Acid ... ,, ,, 

 Carbonate of Soda ...dulls ,, 

 Hydrochloric Acid ...ordinary ,, 

 Gum Arabic ... „ ,, 

 Hydrochloric Acid 



and Gum ... „ tt 



Nitrate of Soda ... „ „ 



Tincture of Steel ...dulls the lips, 

 Nitiate of Potash ...ordinary tips, 

 tlie taste of the liquor being injured in every instance. 



The last experiment but one shows ho,v necessary it is to 

 ensure that no iron comes in contact with the moist roll, or 

 the apjiearanee of leaf, color of outturn, and the liquor will 

 be prejudicially aflected. 



What is said about iron is the general belief of 

 planters everywhere, and yet it has been stated that 

 a planter who turns out some of t!ie best teas which 

 go from Ceylon Lares the iron in his roller so as 

 to let the tea come in direct contact with it ! There 

 is information ab.jut chaukidars or village watchmen, 

 which is not applicable to Ce>lou. Damp coal is said 

 at pack in less space than charcoal, 10 clamps go to 

 n full chest, aud choolas or drying furnaces, where 

 used, should be 



•25" from ground to top of brick work, an-l 2' 8" square in- 

 side top. This takes a tray of 2' 10" x 2' 9" x 3" deep. Our 

 iron ovens are of a size to fit the choola top of the part- 

 icular garden where they are used, but are always 21 inches 

 to admit 5 trays, and a lower zinc elide. 

 We naturally pass over a c-.mple of strangely inter- 

 jected paragraphs about Lil'eri:'n and Arabian coffee, 

 aud as to colour contrasts in the case of paint for 

 machinery, we content ourselves with quoting the 

 opinion that " a good cheap contrast, serviceable and 

 clean, is the old-fashioned stone colour and black." 

 Contract rates for masonry, brickniaking, sawyers, 

 tanks and excavations are given, and we learn as 

 re,i;:a'd8 tea boxes that 



Carpenter should put together 4 chests from shooksand 

 3 chests from planks per diem. Tin-smith should line 15 

 boxes. 



The notices rtgarding stakes for planting, bamboos, 

 withering trays, dallas and ba.skets arc scircely ap- 

 plicable to Ceylon. As rfg.irds the manufacture of 

 all th'se appliances, Mr. Dowliug says :—" The work 

 dnne by garden coolies is invariably better than con- 

 tiact work, but usually more costly." Fi(»ures as to 

 weight and dimensions of sheets of corrugated iron 

 and information as to the (|uality of cotton need not 

 be quoted. Crop figures state that S.") maunda of 

 leaf were gathered on an estate under Mr. Dowling's 

 charge on 4th August 1883, and it is shown that 

 the period for gathering half the crop extends from 

 June to September, picking being commenced in March, 

 we presume. Mr. Dowling states : — 



The average of 1882, in which "year we got fair October 

 showers, was 6th July quarter aud 27th August half crop 

 date. The average half crop dale of the district for a 

 number of years is generally accepted as 2-lth August. 

 There are useful tables 



Showing cost, in Shillings and Pence, laid down in Lon- 

 don, of Indian Tea, at Exchange from Is. 7>1 to Is lOd. pc-r 

 rupee ; Freight at £3 10s. 



There are hints on Gardening, which, being short, we 

 quote : — 



A good mould for seeds sown in pots is: — Half leaf 

 mould, half common loamy earth with a little sand. 

 A little pounded charcoal .should be mixed with the 

 covering soil. 



Coal ashes mixed with dry horse maniu-eigan excellent 

 fertilizer for llower beds. Ked and violet tlowers are bene- 

 fitted by covering the earth in their pots with about an inch 

 of pulverized charcoal. The colors are hiteusitied. White 

 llowers or roses will be greatly improved in brilliancy by 

 mixing iron filings and ashes with the soil. A dressing of 

 quickUme also improves the color of flowers. 



All creeping plants, such as Verbena and Lobelia, shoidd 



have the first bloom picked off before being pegged down 



to the surface of the mould. This will hasten the spreading, 



AVeeds on paths can generally be destroyed by watering 



with a very dilute solution of carbolic acid. 



Flaut Fertilizer. — Ammonium suli>hate, 4 troy ozs ; potass- 

 urn nitrate, 2 troy ozs. ; white sugar, 1 troy oz. Pow- 

 der, mix and dissolve in 1 quart of water. One tablespoon- 

 ful of this mixture added to one gallon of water, and 

 si)rinkled on the plants once'or twice a week, enriches the 

 soil, aud imparts health and '\'igor to the plants. 

 Under the heading "Indents" is shown what should 

 be fpecilied in ordering adzes, anvils, augers, &c. It 

 seems from a par.igraph on Marine Insurance that 

 in India tea leaf can be insured from date of pluck- 

 ing to .30th day after arrival in Calcutta. The re- 

 cipe for kerosene as an insecticide may be useful 

 where poochies arc prevalent : — 



Kerosine oil 1 gallon, milk 1 quart, water 1 quart, Mix 

 intimately, and dilute with 12 volumes of water. 

 Weights of bar iron are given, aud regarding hoop iron 

 we learn that 



Of 2" size, 8 oz. or 10 feet to a tea chest when clamps 

 are employed. 1 bundle of 561b. thus goes to 112 chests. 

 Of I" size „ „ „ 100 „ 



But if the Japan dove-tailed boxes are generally used 

 in Ceylon, hoop iron can be saved, " Kodales " our 

 planters know all about. We pass over Government 

 returns, which are far more onerous in India than 

 in Ceylon. Under " Land Measurement " it is gravely 

 asserted that 



In measuring Hill lands, the Surveyor takes from top to 

 top of the Hill. The gain in sloping land, such as the 

 Thandaehiri Bungalow Teelah, is seven per cent, by actual 

 measurement. 



What have scientific men to say to this? The book 

 is written for Indian planters, who, doubtless, will 

 appreciate the information that " the chuckbund of a 

 KKHjiHins the lionndary ofa?H</irt/"! "Land Tenures" 

 have no direct applicability to Ceylon, where all plant- 

 ations are h-.-ld on a peppeicoro tenure. A specimen, 

 in Bengalee and Roman characters, (d a letter from a 

 Native Mohnrrir to an estate sup._rientedent is given, 

 and immediately following is an extract from the 

 Trnjiical Aiirieuliurist on China "lie" tea. We 

 quote thus from "Machinery": — 



Jackson's Stand.ard Uoller gives its best twist with the 

 Machine worked at S3 revolutions per minute. 130 lb. of 

 withered leaf can be completed in 12 minutes. 



Jack.son's Excelsior wit h 70 revolutions and 1101b. withered 

 leaf turns out a good roll in 10 minutes. 



Kinmond's Dryer No. 2 at Fenoa consumes H maund 

 wood per maund of Tea. 



The Siroeeo at Kangnnea finishes 2.3 lb. Tea in one liour, 

 and bums about 2 niaunds wood to I maund nf Tea. 



Jackson's Hand Roller Uikvs 4 men at tlu^ handles and 

 20 lb. withered leaf at a fill. It will turn out a maund 

 and a half in an hour, aud eight men will finish olf 7 to 

 8 Mds. within ordinary working hours. 

 According to this Jackson's Stan</<inl Roller, of 

 which nothing seems to be known in Ceylon, turns 

 out (i.")0 lb. withered leaf (equiv-alent to l(i2 lb. made 

 tea) per hour, and the Kxcelsior IKiO green or l(i,5 lb. 

 dry lier hour. Tlie Sirocco employed on the estate 

 referred to by Mr. l>owling u.srs up 2 maunds of 

 wood to 1 maund of tea. The capacity of Jackson's 



