MANUFACTURE. 1 1/ 



iron wire, so that the heat of the charcoal, in the masonry 

 receptacle over which it is placed, ascends through all the 

 drawers and thus dries or fires a large quantity of 'roll' 

 at the same time. By the old plan, a single wicker sieve 

 was inserted inside a bamboo frame called a 'dhole,' which 

 was placed over a charcoal fire made in a hole in the ground. 

 On the sieve the roll was placed, and all the heat, after pass- 

 ing through this one sieve, was wasted. Mr. McMeekin's 

 idea was to economise this heat by passing it through several 

 drawers. 



Most planters use these drawers, and there is no doubt in 

 the space saved, and the economy of heat : it is a great step 

 in advance over the old barbarous method, where not only 

 was the heat wasted after passing through one sieve, but a 

 great deal was lost through the basket work of the ' dhole ' 

 itself. 



Still I do not advocate four, still less five drawers one 

 above the other. I think the steam ascending from the lower 

 drawers must, more or less, injure the roll in the upper ones. 

 I confine myself to two, and even then in the top tray leave 

 a small circular space vacant by which the steam from the 

 lower drawer can escape. I utilize the heat that escapes, 

 partially, by placing ' dhallas ' in tiers above, with roll in 

 them. These are supported by iron rods let into the wall and 

 are useful, not only for partly drying the roll, but also for 

 withering leaf when there is no sun. 



Some planters have proposed to do away with charcoal 

 altogether under McMeekin's drawers, supplying its place by 

 hot air. The first point in considering this invention is the 

 question whether the fumes of charcoal, as some assert, are 

 necessary to make good Tea. If they are not necessary (that 

 is, if they produce no chemical effect on the Tea, and there- 

 fore heat from wood devoid of smoke would do as well) 

 there can be no doubt such heat would be cheaper, and more 



