514 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the market on theso linos, at a sacrifice of 

 pungency and sometimes even appearance. 

 The leaf commences to colour from the moment 

 the process of maceration commences in the 

 rollers, uutil the moment it reaches a tempera- 

 ture of about U0 a F. in the dryers. The exact 

 temperature being difficult to iix. Low temper- 

 atures in the colouring rooms delay the process 

 under consideration but tend to render the 

 color darker and give more pungent liquors. 

 Hard rolling tends to thicken the liquors en- 

 abling the roll to take on colour more rapidly 

 and to attain a higher efficiency in this direc- 

 tion. Hard rolling destroys appearance. The 

 term fermentation is surely a misnomer. The 

 action is if anything enhanced if the roll is 

 kept in motion either in drums, trays, cloths, 

 or in the rollers themselves, during the whole 

 period devoted to the process. Leaf has been 

 purposely fermented after rolling but the result 

 is foreign to the purport of the present article. 



5. Briskness— is a resultant of thorough 

 and effective firing. Careful experiment and 

 modern practice clearly shows that the rapid 

 passing of the coloured roll at the highest pos- 

 sible speed through a series of automatically 

 spread driers of the continuous type at a tem- 

 perature not exceeding 225° F. till the first 75 

 per cent of the moisture has been evaporated 

 and at a . temperature not exceeding 180° F. 

 for the concluding stage cannot be improved 

 upon, either for efficiency of rapid working, 

 or excellency of the resulting product, as 

 far as the process under discussion is con- 

 cerned. This procedure will always ensure 

 brisk, well- dried teas with good keeping 

 qualities. The object of keeping final tem- 

 peratures low is to avoid decomposing by heat 

 the ingredients essential to thicken and cream 

 the resultant liquors. 



6. Appearance and Grading. — The best 

 appearance is to be obtained by a high wither 

 and light rolling at a sacrifice of pungency and 

 color. Different estates vary in the grading or 

 assortment of their teas to suit certain buyers. 

 The mechanical appliances and processes also 

 vary on all gardens. The forcing of percentages 

 is not advisable where stand out teas are de- 

 sired, and sometimes leads to the sudden fall in 

 prices otherwise inexplicable in particular 

 shipments. 



In conclusion it must be borne in mind that 

 any sudden improvement in the quality or 

 grading of teas cannot meet with immediate 

 response from buyers. Very showy teas to meet 

 expectations must coincide with a suitable 

 market; and all changes with a view to im- 

 provement must be consistent, and constant, 

 to enable purchasers to bid with confidence. 

 It may take two or three seasons to make a 

 name for a now mark which may be ruined by 

 a single shipment of inferior teas. Pages 

 could be filled under each heading of the above 

 epitome as the subject is such a large one, but 

 enough has been said to elucidate the points 

 at issue. 



For flavour look to soil and class of plant. 

 For quality look to fine and frequent pluoKing. 

 For pungency 1° 0K t° y° ur withering For 



colour look to your rolling and colouring 

 rooms. For briskness look to your firing. For 

 appearance look chiefly for good assortment. 



Thea. 



— Indian Planters' Gazette, May 9. 



COCONUT PALM DISEASE EN COCHIN. 



Cochin, May 4. — Certain enquiries have been 

 made with a view to ascertain the extent of this 

 disease prevalent in Native Cochin. The result 

 shows that a few moths or butterflies, from the 

 neighbourhood of Travancore, settled on a few 

 trees in the Cochin territory and thereby caused 

 the disease. The Dewan Peishkar has been 

 instructed to take immediate step3 for the des- 

 truction of the insects that have travelled into 

 Cochin and for the prevention of their further 

 encroachment. Tho insects and crysalises al- 

 ready gathered have been sent to the British 

 Resident with a request to him to forward them 

 to Dr. Butler, or to the Imporial Futomologist, 

 Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, for 

 examination, — M. Mat 



COPRA 9N PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA. 



Special attention is being given in Portuguese 

 Eatt Africa to fibre growing ; but even greater 

 things are hoped for from the copra industry, 

 which is described by an enthusiast as "the 

 one real, progressive and advancing feature of 

 Portuguese East Africa.'' Quilimano is the 

 centre of the industry and in that district alone 

 eight companies are today steadily pursuing 

 their operations. The export of copra for 1906 

 reached the very respectable total of 3,209,030 

 kilos. (3,220 tons.) Inclosing this article one 

 cannot do better than quote a Transvaal jour- 

 nalist's word-picture of the great copra industry 

 of Quilimane : 



" It is an astonishing experience to run out 

 from Quilimane on the little toy railway with 

 cts two foot guage, through miles of beautiful 

 iocouuts whoso graceful fronds almost meet 

 OTerhead, past native huts, whose inhabitants 

 are almost as primitive in their drees as Adam 

 and Eve and then, with a sudden application of 

 brakes and terrific shrieking from the engine 

 whistle, the car pulls up at a real station flanked 

 by lofty brick buildings. It is the factory of 

 the Zambezia Company, and belts and shafting 

 and the hum of machinery make one imagine 

 that he is back in Europe. Here the American 

 gospel of using all the by-products may be seen 

 iu operation, numbers of Kaffirs being engaged, 

 with the aid of the latest English machinerj', in 

 crushing the coconut husks, tearing them to 

 pieces, and cleaning and combing the fibre 

 l^ady for manufacture. Here, too, are machines 

 for cleaning and grinding mealies, rice (of 

 which a very large quantity is grown) and other 

 products of the great gardens. Close by are the 

 great ovens where the coconuts, after being 

 split open, are baked, converting the tasty nut 

 into the commercial article 'copra' which com- 

 mands such a high price for its oil, soap, and 

 candle-making qualities." — J. Hartley Knight in 

 Dun's International Review, for April. 



