THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1889. 
preparation by expression is far superior. The first 
requisite is to get rid of the hard skin. On a small 
scale this may be done by pounding gently in a 
mortor, but it is more conveniently effected by passing 
the seeds between two rollers, set just at such a 
distauce from each other as to break the skin, though 
sometimes the seeds are allowed to be slightly crushed. 
The seeds are cleaned by winnowing, and carefully 
picking over. The details of the further processes 
differ very much, but there are two principal plans 
of procedure. In India, a plan somewhat like the 
following is employed. The cleaned seeds are put 
into hempen bags, and pressed in moulds into the 
shape of bricks. The bricks are placed in layers in 
a hydraulic press, each layer being separated by a sheet 
of iron heated to 90°. The pressure is applied grad- 
ually, and the oil thus obtained is of the first quality. 
The crushed mass is again subjected to pressure with 
the plates heated at 100°. This gives a second quality 
of oil. After standing for some time, a sediment is 
deposited, the oil is drawn off, and filtered through 
flannel bags. Another system, which is preferred in 
California, is as follows : — The shelled seeds are placed 
in a shallow iron reservoir, and submitted to a gentle 
dry heat, not greater than can be borne by the band. 
They are then put into a screw-press, which may be 
worked by horse povver. The liquid which comes 
away is boiled for one hour with an equal amount of 
water. The clear oil is removed next morning, and 
again boiled with a small quantity of water. " At 
the exact point when the water has all boiled away, 
which is indicated by the bubbles ceasing to rise, the 
process is stopped, as every care must be taken not 
to push the heat too far." The oil is sometimes 
bleached by placing it in tanks or large glass vessels, 
and exposing it to the sun. It loses some of its pur- 
gative power, but nevertheless obtains a higher price 
in the market. — Jamaica Bulletin. 
. » 
TEA PLUCKING AND PEICES. 
Men pluck in April, medium pluck, at the rate of 
400 lb. per acre ; in May, medium fine, at the rate of 
300 lb. per acre, and then they say oh ! the loss is only 
33 per cent. How are they to judge this ? If they had 
continued medium plucking in May, they most likely 
would have got 400 lb. per care, so the correct loss is 50 
per cent. Farther on you state that by plucking fine 
they get the same quantity of Broken Pekoe and Pekoe 
as before without the Souchong. No, they do not ; 
they get less. The Broken Pekoe and Pekoe are in- 
creased (particularly the Broken Pekoe) by a consider - 
abe amount of Souchong ground down in rolling, which 
nosifting oan take out. This increases the quantity of 
the Pekoe and Broken Pekoe, so, if Broken Pekoe and 
Pekoe are plucked separate, there will be quite $ less of 
these teas, but they will be finer teas and will fetch a 
slightly (?) higher price, not enough, I am afraid to 
compensate for the loss of the Souchong and Broken 
Tea, and also for the loss in quantity in the Broken 
Pek^e and Pekoe plucked by themselves. 
"What you state as to these teas going into the market 
by themselves, etc., is perfectly correct. As far a6 I can 
see, what has been written so far on this subject are 
mere assertions, not facts — which are not easily arrived 
at. One man states that by plucking two leaves and 
bud every eight days you will get more than, or as much 
as, plucking three leaves and bud every ten or twelve 
days, as the tea will flush faster from the young third 
leaf left than from the mature fourth leaf left in the 
coarser plucking, and that by pluckiog fiuer you will 
lone no quantity and gain quality and price with the 
finest tea. I should very much like to know how this 
is proved ? By simply takiug one month's or season's 
yi<-ld with another is no proof, as I have stated before. 
"When the idea was started in Oeylon to leave the whole- 
leaf and fish leaf, instead of J-leaf and fish leaf, it was 
stated that the flush would be longer in coming from 
the wbole-leaf bud than from the J-leaf bud, though 
most likely the tree would be healthier and stronger 
with a whole leaf left, but loss would occur by delay 
of flush. Now to prove this I selected some trees, 
plucked part with i-leaf, part with whole-leaf, took 
date &c, and then took date of flush coming from each 
and when plucked. I found, as a rule, that the whole 
leaf flush was seven to ten days earlier than the J-lea" 
flush, as I expected, as the whole leaf shoot was stron- 
ger, and therefore, stnt up its shoot quicker — not 
only that, but a far stronger and healthier one. So 
much fur assertions vs. fact. 
Now, as to the medium plucking vs. medium fine 
and fine, 1 have taken the trouble to pluck myself 
a number of three-leaf shoots and buds, leaving the 
one whole leaf and mat tie. I have weighed the whole 
lot, then taken off each grade and weighed them, 
and then taken their percentage, which I give below. 
This nearly gives the proportions of each kind of 
plucking, though too f.worable for the fine teas, as 
the finer leaves, of course, are rather stronger than 
if plucked before they had the four leaves below 
them ; at the same time, I think, it gives as close a 
proportion as we can get. I have divided the grades 
in the middle of the stem between each grade of leaf 
as the only way to get a correct proportion. 
lb. per cent. 
Medium plucking, say 400 per acre or 100 
Third leaf thrown away 181 do 45 4 
Two leaves and bud ...219 do 54-6 
2 400 1000 
One leaf and bud ... 90 22 7 
Of course, someone else may arrive at slightly dif- 
ferent percentages, but this is fairly correct. 
Or grade of per cent. 
Three leaf ... 45 4") This gives the exact 
Two leaf ... 319 I proportions of each part, 
One leaf and bud ... 22'7 [ and comes to the same 
J thing as above. 
100-0 
In practice, if only the two leaves and bud are taken 
they will be finer, so it is not likely that 219 lb. per 
acre will be received — tr.aybe only 200 lb. or less. Also 
I expect with one leaf and bud it will be less than 90 lb. 
What I want to know is what effect plucking, say 
one leaf and bud, leaving one leaf on shoot would have 
on the tree and on the coming flush, also two leavs 
and bud, leaving one ; what effect this would have 
on the shoot from the left leaf ; and if the shoot that 
comes from the fourth leaf in the medium plucking 
willnotbea healthier and stronger shoot, as it comes 
from riper wood. "We want this all in facts as far as 
we can. get them. One says plucking fine hurts the tree 
another " oh do, you get a quicker flush as it comes 
from more sappy wood." I myself say that three leaves 
and a bud is hest for the tree, best for returns, and best 
for Ceylon. At the present time if well made (and a 
fair time from pruning) tea can be made from it, even 
with the present market rates, to sell at 40 cts. per lb. 
As to the question, which will pay best, 5 to 600 lb. tea 
at 40 cts. or 80 to 100 lb. at 75 cts. to Rl? — this I 
leave to be answered. — Enquiber. — Local "Times." 
» 
SCALE ON TEA. 
( From Proceedings of the Agricultural and 
Horticultural Society of India.) 
Some specimens of tea plant affected with scale 
were received from Messrs. Doss & Company of 6, 
Mission Row, with the following letter :— Dear Sir, 
— " Mr. Richard Ballard, Manager, Nassau Tea Co., 
Ld., Kangra Valley, has sent us the accompaning tin 
box containing cuttings from his Tea bushes affected 
with a certain disease, the nature of which is quite 
unknown to him. We sent the box to Messrs. W. 
Moran & Co., and they have referred us to you, 
who could let us know the nature, character, and 
origin of the disease, as well as its remedy. We 
should be greatly obliged by your giving us the 
necessary information, and are prepared to pay any 
fee you may charge for doing so." 
No charge is made by the Society for information 
on such subjects, and the following reply was sent : 
— " Referring to your letter of yesterday's date for- 
warding a box of tea prunings affected with disease, 
and asking its nature and a remedy. The tea is 
affected or attacked by Scale insects, and I wil as- 
certain and let you know the correct name for this 
speoies. As regards a remedy; if only one or two 
