TEA MACHINERY. 237 



Thompson's Challenge Roller. This (quite lately invented) 

 though given last is likely, by all I hear, to stand well 

 among rollers. I have no drawing or description of it, but 

 why I think well of it is that a Tea engineer, Mr. Ansell, of 

 Kurseong, who thoroughly understands Tea machinery, 

 thinks so highly of the machine that he has recommended 

 its purchase by the Phoolbarry Tea Company. I have every 

 faith in Mr. Ansell's judgment, and feel confident therefore 

 the machine must be a good one. One feature and advan- 

 tage claimed for it is, " free contact of the leaf throughout 

 the roll with the outer air." 



I may conclude my remarks on rollers with a quaint 

 letter (from Tea Gazette) by a native. If he can judge of 

 Tea machinery as well as he can write English his opinion 

 is worth preserving : 



TEA ROLLING MACHINERY. 



Dear Sir, On the subject of Tea-leaf rolling machinery, the 

 (to all appearance) strangely opposite results I have obtained from 

 machines of the same make have led me to the following conclusions, 



1. All " genuses " of machines are equally good. 



2. There are hardly two "species " of the same genus which give 

 similar results. 



3. Changing the " fixings " of a machine makes all the difference 

 in the world. 



Ergo a good mechanic will have a good machine whether he 

 patronize Jackson, Kinmond, Haworth, or any other inventor. 



I think with your correspondent " A Voice from Assam" that the 

 machine that gives the roll quickly, and in a continuous supply, is the 

 best. 



I would defy any man to prove that any inventor has it " all his 

 own way," for I certainly have not found it so in my experience. 



Yours truly, 



KOL MISTRY. 



