OcTOBF.R I, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



277 



is just what the owners of young places will 

 specially object to doing. 



Mr. ^Vimstrong's valuable paper is so suggestive 

 that we oould add further remarks and (jueries. 

 But here we must close our review, with a 

 renewed expression of our own gratitude as well 

 as that, we feel sure, of our readers, that gentle- 

 men like Mr. Armstrong are so ready to make 

 public the results of their experience and observ- 

 :ition. 



TUK M.-LN'DFAOTUKE OF TEA: .MR. AKM- 



.STRONG'S PAPER. 



Dcdtota, 24th August 1S85. 

 Jlr. Chairman ami Genllemau. — It is my pleasing 

 duty to give you toda3' my expeiieuct', so far as it goe.-^, 

 of the mauufaetnre of tea aud the machiuory we at 

 prcseut use to ai.i us iu tbis. It may not perhaps be 

 out of place to digress a little, and begin with wliafc I 

 cousiiler the cheape.st and most suitable form of build- 

 ing foi' iiur purpose. Thegroundfloorof ourfactorysbould 

 be 24 ft. wide from cimtre to centre of tlie pillars, 

 with wings 14 ft. wide at each side, thus giving us 52 

 ft. clear width for all machinery, bias, packing &:c. 

 and tllis floor should be of cement. Above tliis «e 

 should have two floors at 24 ftet wide f r withering. 

 Length of factory depends on the siza of the gardens 

 but say 1.32 ft. by 62 ft., upper floors 24 ft., giving 

 us space as follows : — 24 ft. by 52 ft. for rollers. Motive 

 power being iu au outride building — 24 ft. sj»ace, vheu 

 sirocco pit at IS ft. by 8 ft by 5 ft. (J in. Agaiu with 24 ft. 

 between each, two more Sirocco pits — each pit at 18 ft. 

 by 8 ft. by 5 ft. 6iu. holds two T siroccos, we have thus, 

 for withering purposes, spread our .siroccos well over 

 our bnildiug, giving ample room between each for 

 bins, picking, sorting, packing ^c. Should more wither- 

 ing spjce be required a building at 24 feet wide wiih 

 three floors can be carried out from the centre of the 

 factoiy, and if a Blackman's air propeller was iu use, 

 this could be moved to tlic end of the addition and 

 serve the whole of the withering space, except the 

 lower floor of the addition. 



U'ltheriiKj Shelres. — The cheapest and best I know of 

 are those invented by Mr. .Megginson at " Carolina," 

 Jute Hessian, cut in lengths ttj suit the factory, but 

 not to excO'-d 24 ft. say, lieing rather uumauugeable 

 if longer than this; a reeper 1} iu. square is nailed 

 at each end of the length of ttessian, and projecting H iu. 

 beyond its width at each siile ; one end is rounded, the 

 other left square, we then have uprights at 4.3 in. be- 

 tween each i. e. the widili of the Hessian, aud at tlie re- 

 quired distance apart, one of which has keyed slots 

 cut at 6 in. apart, the other a \\ in. augur hole at G in. 

 also. One cooly fixes the reeper at his end into both 

 uprights, another cooly oppo site fixing in the rounded 

 6bd only, rolls the reeper till this is pulled forward at 

 a gooil slant when he then pulls the .square end back 

 into the .slot thus stretching the Hessian quite taut. 

 If the shelves are more than 12 feet in length, an up- 

 right, about the centre of the shelf will be required 

 with reepers at 6 in. apart nailed across it, which sup- 

 ports the shelf, and prevents sagging, 24 ft. lengths suit 

 best, and are most economical. In collecting leaf for 

 the roller, each shelf is lifted out, its contents emptied 

 into the trolley, or on the floor, and replaced ready 

 for fresh leaf. 12 shelves at 6 iu. apart will be found 

 most convenient. 



Ifitherhii/ Floors. — We cannot obtain a healthy wither 

 without light and fresh air, and lots of both. The tend- 

 ency in Ceylon is, I fear, towanls too wide a building 

 with a floor at 36 to 40 ft. wide as some are. It is almost 

 impossible, however many windows we may have, that 

 light auil wholesome air should get to our centre 

 shelves, through the mass of leaf ijitervening. A double 

 row of .Mr. Meggin.son's .shelves down the centre of the 

 floor including S in. centre posts, will tike up 8 ft. in. 

 At the side walls we have window< ti ft. by 3 ft., at Cft. 

 apart, and withering shelves between each ; these with 

 supports &o. will take up 4 ft, (i in. clear, leaving a pass- 

 a^'e o ft. 3 in. between them and the centre shelves, 



Shelves m.ay be stretched across the windows at night, 

 when pressed for room, being taken down the first 

 thing m the morning, when the leaf can be re-spread on 

 the other shelves, as they are emptied for the roller ; 

 every, scrap of room may be thus utilized. 



li'itlit>-iii(/.—Lu:\,{ can hardly be spread too thin, 

 provided the day is uot too hot or dry. (i feet will hold 

 I lb. of leaf thiiili/ spread, :i, shelf 21 ft. by 'i It. i) in. 

 will hold therefore 15 lb. of leaf thinly spreail, or up 

 to double this should necessity arise, make your 

 calcvdatious at 2U lb. say, aud you will be right. 

 Leaf cannot have too much light and f n sh air, 

 and the best results will be obtained from leaf 

 withered uaturally, in a temperature of from 75° 

 to 80° with all wiudows open. In our wet, cold 

 weather, withering is our one great difficulty, and 

 at present we have no machine to help us here. Char- 

 coal won't do, nor will .Siroccos, with leaf applied 

 direct. Hot moist air is what is required, drawn 

 rapidly thiough our leaf, and I hope to obtain the 

 desired result by drawing the not moist air through 

 my withering lott from the T Sirocco after it pa.sses 

 through the roll it is firing, with the aid of a black- 

 mau's Air Propeller, to which our frieuds of the 

 Observer have so often called ourattention. The Siroccos 

 are spread throughout tlie whole length of the ground 

 floor as already shown, there arc doors in the upper 

 floor above each Sirocco, so that the heat may be 

 closed oft if not required. Shovild we have no roll 

 to fire, we can get our moist heat by spreading a 

 blanket over tlie siroccos kept damp by au occasional 

 sprinkling of water. I have every faith in this suc- 

 ceeding, aud am now thus adapting my own fac- 

 tory. The sooner after plucking, the leaf can be 

 withered — uaturall,y — ready to roll, the better, but as 

 night work should be avoided itpo.ssible, it is best for us 

 to arrauge to have our nioruiiig's delivery ready for 

 rolling by 4 to (J o'clock the next morning, when our 

 wither Irom the morning's leaf will be found perfectly 

 sweet, even up to 10 o'clock. We can generally manage 

 <luring the dry hot weather to keep our leaf from first de- 

 livery till inoniiug, by excluding light and .spreading it a 

 little thicker than is usual. Improperly withered leaf 

 cannot lesult iu good tea, either as to liquor or outturn, 

 and our careful attention is necessary in the withering 

 loft. When leaf is properly withered it is .soft and 

 silky to the touch, and should uot be hard or dry, 

 pricking the hand when squeezed. If from leaf getting 

 ahead of us, our plucking is coarse, separate the finer 

 from the coarser leaf with No. 3 sieve, and withereach 

 separately. Do not allow your pluckers to bruise or 

 squeeze the leaf in their hands or baskets, and as they 

 empty their plucking basket or cooty sack, as the case 

 may be, into their store basket, make them turn over the 

 leaf in the basket, so that it lies lightly. Do not col- 

 lect your withered leaf for the roller till just before it is 

 wanted. If necessary leaf may be sunned to bring it 

 up to the proper point. In cold weather I have found no 

 harm result from withering my leaf entirely in the snn. 

 Care must be taken to see the leaf does not get dry, 

 and it should be moved indoors before it is <|uite fully 

 withered and allowe-d to cool, by which time it will be 

 withered to th* degree required. Suu-withered leaf 

 gives a reddish make and fine strong liquor. A red- 

 dish make isnotdisliked in the Lane provided it is well 

 twisted. I'liJeni-illuri, I \ta,f gives a thin light-coloured 

 liquor with a light greenish outturn. Over.vithered or 

 dry leaf gives a thin liquor fairlypungent with a ilark ir- 

 regular outturn. Leaf spread too thickly aud allowed to 

 get sodden gives a dark thick mawkish liipior, strong and 

 flavorless, sometimes sour, and a dark outturn. Allow 

 yourscKes double the withering sijat-e you estimate 

 you will require, even if a temporary .shed has to be 

 built, or when your best months come, you will find 

 yourselves with lots of leaf and nowhere to put it, or 

 so overcro vding it as to make your worst teas when 

 you should be making your best. A stronif healthy 

 )lu.sh, resullingin heavy pluckinss, will f;ive the best lea. 

 And simply for want of withering-room you may stand 

 to lose 2d per lb on your t^as. I^'mir to si\ coolies will 

 attend to l,GUO II> of leaf, with an occasional time off 

 lor picking out red leaf or work at tea below stairs. 



