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298. A rice-mill driven by a portable engine and turn- 

 ing out 140 mnds. of white rice per day is also advertised by 

 Messrs. Burn & Co., for Rs. 7,700, the engine and the paddy- 

 smutter being priced separately. Messrs. Balmer, Lawrie & 

 Co., of Calcutta have another rice mill . It can be worked 

 either by hand-power or by steam. Worked by hand it is said 



FIG. 54. BALMER & LAWRIE'S PADDY-HUSKER. 



to shell about 2 maunds of paddy per hour, and by steam, about 

 4 maunds per hour. The machine (Fig. 54) consists of a 

 cone made of stone, revolved by a shaft inside a conical 

 case, the interior of which is constructed so that a slightly 

 corrugated surface is opposed to the stone cone. The grain 

 passing between the two surfaces is subjected to an action 

 similar to that of rubbing between the hands, which 

 loosens and removes the husk with very little breakage. The 



