fee, 1, im,] THE TROPICAL AGmCVLTVRIST, 



ii+l 



lu nearlj- all cases it is the jointing of the belts 

 that gives trouble. 



Coolies are often careless and punch holes in a very 

 irregular way to form a joint, and it is this irregular 

 cutting up of the straps that usually brings them 

 to grief. 



Another fruitful cause of the destruction of belts is 

 too short centres between the pulleys over which 

 they run. 



In designing permanant factories it should be ar- 

 ranged tliat the driving pulleys of our Hollers shall bo | 

 fifteen to twenty feet away from the line shaft, and I 

 foranoi'in driving belt, twenty-five to thirty feet cen- | 

 tres will be found about right. 



Tools.— As Tea making depends much more on tlic 

 efficient working of the machinery than cotfee did, I 

 would advise every estate to become possessor of a | 

 complete set of mechanic's tools, which will be found i 

 invaluable at times. I 



Fiit. — I have been frequently asked what is the I 

 best precaution to be taken against the outbreak of 

 fire, or rather, in event of it, what is the best extin- 1 

 guisher, and, having had some experience in this way 

 just before leaWng England, I am able to to say that 

 a firm there, having suffered considerably, made every 

 enquiry into the use of Fire Engines as extinguishers, 

 including manual pumps, and this eminent firm came 

 to the conclusion, after full investigation, that almost 

 all modern appliances were defective, insofar that by 

 freqiient long disuse they often got into an unwork- 

 able state, and were practically useless when required. 

 They therefore decided on what I consider the best 

 of all arrangements for a tea stores, namely, to hang 

 up sets of six buckets full of water on rack pins 

 fastened to the walls about every thirty feet apart all 

 over the establishment, several thousands being re- 

 quired to fully equip the factory, contending, and I 

 think rightly so, that it is just when the fire is dis- 

 covered that it is easiest put out, and instead of hav- 

 ing to run about for men capable or acquainted with 

 adjusting and working the fire pumps, all hands would 

 know exactly what to do, and bucket after bucket of 

 water woidd be dashed on the flames with the least 

 possible delay ; and this, I think, would apply well to 

 tea stores, for if these buckets were fitted up all round 

 full ot water, the coolies, instead of running about 

 and wondering where to go, would all make a dash 

 for the buckets, and a volume of water would be 

 poured on the flames quite sufficient to extinguish 

 them if they had not got possession of the buildings, 

 in which case, most likely, nothing on earth could 

 save them. 



Such buckets or the patent Harden Star Hand 

 Grenade fire extinguishers are not expensive, would 

 not take up any useful room in the store ; and, although 

 the suggestion appears a very simple one, I cannot 

 too strongly mipress on proprietors the desirability 

 of weighing over its value and application. 



"William Jackson. 



A eorrespofldent of a mechanical turn and much 

 practical shrewdnesg. after a perusal of the above, 

 expressed his opinion as follows : — 



■' I have read the pamphlet carefully. I think Mr. 

 Jackson is right, however, about the store and about 

 the turbine aiid the engine in aid. Also about belts and 

 wire bands, dc. I am glad to find that his experience 

 confirms a view I have always held, that the tea 

 drying process should be a continuous one : on 

 the score of saving in fuel, was my argument ; 

 his is on the score of better tea. A cheaper style 

 of coutiuuous drier than Jackson's Victorian, I think 

 will be llie tlricr. About the buckets of water, ex- 

 perience is only of value.' 



We ha\ e a favourable account of the small Hand 

 Kollcr now advertised by Messrs. Walker & Co. 

 from a i)ractical tea planter wlio has given it a 

 careful iiisi)ection : in a few days one of these is 

 to he shown at the Colombo Iron Works driveo 

 by steam. 



The title-imgc of Messrs. Walker & Co.'s pamphlet 

 to which we refer is as foJIowb ;— I 



A Few Notes by William Jackson on Tea Machin- 

 ery and Tea Stores. 



And besides a full price list and catalogue of W. 

 & J. Jackson's Tea Machinery together with a 

 series of authenticated testimonials, it gives a list 

 of Marshall & Sons' steam engines and boilers ; 

 an engraving and explanation to enable the oorreot 

 measurement of water in a stream or mill-lead to 

 be made, with a table for weirs ; with a good deal 

 of other information respecting road-tracers; hygro- 

 meters ; lire-extinguishers ; fireproof paint, itc. 

 We quote the following passage in illustration : — 



So much has been written in praise of Jackson's 

 Tea Machines, that we have experienced some diffic- 

 ulty in deciding what to reprint in this pamphlet. 

 Mr. .Tackson's larger Kellers have been so long awarded 

 the highest place by the Planters of India, Ceylon and 

 Java, that is not necessary to republish at this date 

 any of the numerous testimonials received regarding 

 them. The Hand Koller, though only hrouglit out in 

 1884, has proved ec|ually successful, and in 12 months 

 nearly 100 of these machines have been sold. A few 

 letters received regarding this Roller are printed further 

 on, together with some extracts from Mr. Armstrong's 

 paper on " The Manufacture of Tea.'' 



"The Jiattle of the Driers" which has been waged 

 so fiercely in Ceylon may now be considered settled, 

 and the letters which follow, together with a few 

 extracts from the Indian and Ceylon press, may be left 

 to decide with whom the victory rests. 



PLANTING IN JAMAICA. 



A Jamaica proprietor who reads the Tropica 

 Agriciittiiriyt, where he found Mr. Cottam's letters 

 (or rather all that referred to x^ractical tropical 

 agriculture in them), writes to us as follows: — 



I have read Mr. H. Cottam's letters from Jamaica 

 with considerable interest. He seems to have made 

 good use ot his time so far as taking in the 

 condition of the Eastern end of the island is 

 concerned. I am afraid his remarks about the roads 

 in our first clearing are more or less correct, they 

 being after the style prevailing on Blue Mountain 

 coffee estates before Mr. F, D. Marshall showed us 

 the Ceylon style. I have taken Mr. C.'s advice 

 and altered my ways. Since Mr. Cottam was 

 in those parts, we have planted 10 acres on the 

 north side of the main village in tea, which 

 promises by its growth to do well. The great pro- 

 blem that remains to be solved is the cost of 

 production. I am afraid we shall never be able 

 to compete with your cheap rates of production 

 in Ceylon. We shall have i(o acres planted in 

 cinchona by the end of the year. We find that 

 it grows far better on the north side of the main 

 ridge than on the south side, the climate being 

 more equable on the north side, and not so exposed 

 to night winds. I shall be glad to know what you 

 think about planting cinchona in new clearings 

 among tea and coffee. There seems to ho very 

 different opinions held on the subject by your 

 correspondents. 1 should hardly think if the cin- 

 chonas were kept well-topped and planted 8 ft. by 

 8 ft. or 10 ft. by 10 ft. they would do much 

 harm to either tea or cotfee. as they would he 

 dug up and barked when about six years old be- 

 fore they could do much injury. jThe general 

 feeling in Ceylon is now, we believe, ad- 

 verse to planting cinchona in clearings with 

 other products. Along boundaries, roads and 

 pathways, howcxer, there is a good deal ot 

 scope for cinchona.- -En. J Notwithstanding the 

 general depression and low rates ruling for 

 all descriptions of tropical produce, the liliie Mountain 

 coffee has kept up its reputation, as high as liiSs 

 per c\vt. having been obtained in the Liverpool market 

 for tiomc of the beet uiarke. The sugar plnutere 



