238 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



Before going to press I received drawing and description 

 of "Thompson's Challenge Roller." It is impossible to 

 judge of its merits by the drawing, but some very strong 

 testimonials are appended one much in its favour from 

 Mr. Ansell, the Tea engineer above mentioned. By the 

 testimonials (more than one from men I know) the following 

 advantages appear to have been obtained : 



" Balling" of the leaf is avoided. 



The tips are kept quite bright. 



Heating prevented. 



Simplicity of " feed " and " discharge." 



One attendant, a minimum of motive power, and low 



priced. 



A good twist attained. 

 Simplicity in the machine, and ease of transport and 



erection. 



If all the above are facts, I quite think the " Challenge " 

 will prove a great success. 



The following, written by me to the Tea Gazette, may be 

 worth the attention of Tea-rolling machine inventors : 



SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE DRUMS AND THE FACES 

 OF THE ROLLERS IN TEA ROLLING MACHINERY. 



Sir, The following idea, suggested to me by a planter up here, 

 may be practicable or not, but in any case it is worth letting the 

 patentees of Tea-rolling machines know it. 



In days gone by when iron worked in contact with iron on the 

 faces of rollers the colour of the outturn (that is the infused Tea 

 leaves) was quite destroyed. That is now remedied, but there is still 

 an evil of less importance. The wood on the said faces of the rollers 

 absorbs the sap of the leaf, and unless they are washed very clean, the 

 said old sap is apt to contaminate, more or less, the new leaf. Could 



