ADDENDA. 183 



aroma be really due to " suspension of fermentation," is it not worth 

 while adopting some contrivance for cooling down a chamber set 

 aside for the purpose of spreading out the rolled leaf to the tempera- 

 ture required ? 



' The question whether delicacy is due to altitude alone and not 

 to manufacture might be ascertained by experiment. Let a quantity 

 of green leaf be sent down from one of the Neilgherry gardens, and 

 worked up in the plains at the foot of the hills, and an equal quantity 

 sent up from one of the Assam gardens, say to Shillong, and manu- 

 factured on the Neilgherry principles there, and the result then 

 compared. This experiment would cost little and determine a not 

 unimportant question : for all engaged in Tea are interested in using 

 their best endeavours to fit it for public consumption, and to guard 

 it against Chinese in any shape or form whatever.' 



Note by the Author. That ' delicacy of flavour,' and ' want of 

 strength ' with it, is due to altitude, has long ago been admitted, and 

 any experiments on that head would, I think, be quite unnecessary. 

 The experiments as to manufacture on the Neilgherries are inter- 

 esting, and should be further looked into. 



E. M. 



I have at last completed experiments with a view to do away 

 with the use of charcoal in Tea manufacture, and I think with 

 success. 



The ' Furnace Teas,' for so I purpose naming them, have in 

 most cases been pronounced by the Calcutta brokers to be superior 

 to similar samples of the same day's leaf, made in the usual way 

 over charcoal. 



Nothing but the heat generated by any fuel placed in furnaces 

 sunk under ground outside the Tea-house, is used. No motive 

 power of any kind is employed. The apparatus is very simple. It 

 is cheap to erect and very durable in character. 



As the apparatus, with which the Teas up to the present time 

 have been made, is a rude and imperfect one, having disadvantages 

 which must tell more or less on the excellence of the Teas so manu- 

 factured, and as, even with these disadvantages, the Teas are 

 pronounced by the brokers at least equal to charcoal- dried Teas, it is 

 not too much to hope that with a perfect apparatus (one of which 

 will be erected immediately) Teas will be improved in value by this 



