5J8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January i, 1890, 
THE BLACKMAN FAN IN TEA WITHERING. 
In view of the articles which have from time to 
time appeared in our columns regarding the Black- 
man Air Propeller as adapted to our tea wither- 
ing sheds, the following extracts from letters re- 
ceived by the Blaokman Co. Ltd., and forwarded 
to us, will doubtless be of interest to our readers : — 
I. — Extract from letter from G. O.'Kentish, Esq., Tari- 
enti Tea Estate, Dooare. — " The (two 48-inch) ' Black- 
mans' are doing grandly. I will send you a report in a 
day or two, as requested by Mr. Aldam : but I may 
mention that I withered dry leaf with them in hours, 
and wet leaf in 8. The fans were then only running at 
two-thirds speed. With the greater speed I have now 
I expect much better results." 
II. — Extract from letter from A. S. Peuny, Esq., 
Dilkoosh Tea Estate, Oachar.-— " Some time ago you 
asked how the two (48-inch) fans were doing, and I now 
have the pleasure to give you the following figures : — 
August 29th.— 668 lb. plucked at Dixea the previous 
day, reached this faotory at 7-45 a. m. ; was spread at 
8. o a. m. ; and rolled at 11-30. August 30t,h.— 580 
lb. arrived from Dixea (8 miles distant) at 7-40 a. m. 
was spread at 8. o a. m. ; and rolled at 11-45. These 
results are most satisfactory. Formerly the Dixea 
leaf had to be always kept over until the following 
day j no doubt, to the detriment of manufacture. A 
factory with ' Blackman' fans can, I consider, do with 
one half the usual number of buildings." 
III. — Extract from letter from A. A. Bull, Esq., 
BatMcora Tea Estate, Sylhet. — " My arrangements for 
keeping the loft practically air-tight are not yet com- 
pleted, and I have ' gill-mills' in^teid of glass windows. 
Although I am not able, owiug to ciroumstances, to 
reap the full benefit of having them (two 60-inch 
Blacktnans), I work them regularly and find them of 
great assistance in withering, even as they are, and I am 
very glad iadeed we invested in them. As soon as glass 
arrives I hope thoroughly to test them." 
Several of these fans are being erected upcountry 
by Messrs. John Walker & Co., agents for the 
Blaokman Ventilating Co., and one of them can 
be seen at the Colombo Iron Works, They cost 
little, says our correspondent, and are an undoubted 
success. 
REGULATION OF SUPPLIES OF TEA. 
The Indian Tea Districts Association have issued the 
following report of the special committee, appointed 
by the general committee of the Indian Tea Districts 
Association at their meeting held on Nov. 19th, 1889, 
to work out details of a scheme for regulating the 
supplies of tea placed on the market, with a view to 
prevent the depreciation in values, not unfrequently 
caused by hurrying forward more tea than the buyers 
are able to deal with : — 
The special committee, having had the advantage 
of conferring with the representatives of nearly all 
the leading brokers, has arrived at the conclusion 
that, looking to the difficulty of formulating any ar- 
rangement of a hard and fast nature, and con- 
sidering the many conflicting interests involved, the 
object in view can be best attained by a general 
understanding among growers and importers and 
the brokers. 
The special committee find that the following are 
among the contributing causes of a depressed market: — 
1, The unnecessarily large number of separate 
breaks sent home by gardens, thereby harassing the 
trade. 
2. The offering of an enormous quantity of tea 
for sale on a single day. 
if. The printing for sale of breaks of tea before 
the teas are actually ready for sale in the ware- 
house, and consequent frequenoy of withdrawals from 
sile at the last moment. 
The brokers being more fully in possession of the 
information necessary to enable them to exercise 
control over supplies, inform us that it has hitherto 
b een their endeavour, as far as possible, to confer 
o ether to a oertain extent with regard to printing, , 
but that more might be done by merchants them- 
selves to support their efforts. 
The brokers are accordingly recommended to en- 
deavour as far as possible to dissuade their princi- 
pals from — 
1. Printing their teas for sale before all the teas 
of each break are actually in the warehouse, and 
have been bulked and worked. 
2. Bringing out fresh catalogues of tea to be sold 
on the last days of the same week i i which the 
catalogues are issued, when the total amount already 
advertised for sale appears sufficient, or more than 
sufficient, for the requirements of the trade. 
Members of the Association are invited to do their 
utmost to strengthen the hands of their respective 
brokers, and at the same tuna to endeavour to attend 
the fortnightly meetings of the Association, on Tues- 
days, at 2 p.m., to confer with one another, and with 
brokers, with a view to better regulation of the 
supplies put on the market. 
Robert Lyell ( Members of the 
Geo. Seton < Special Oom- 
R. G. Shaw (. mittee. 
Ernest Tye, Secretary. 
A meeting of the general committee of the Indian 
Tea Districts Association was held on the 17th inst. to 
receive the report, of the speci »1 committee apptin'.ed 
to consider the question of regulating the supplies of 
tea placed on the market. The following members 
attended: — Chair — Wil idm Roberts CJorel'aut, Dar- 
jeeling, and Tiphook Companies,, R. G. Shaw (A^sam 
Fromi r Company), Robert L\ ell (Geo. Wiiianison & 
Co.), R. P. Dooke (Duncan, Macneill, & Co ), A. Bry- 
ans (t\ R. Buchanan & Co.), J. Btrry White (Jokai Tea 
Company), W. L Watson (Jas. Finlay & Co.), W. N. 
Clark (Begg, Duuiop, & Co.), Geo. Seton (Octuvius 
Steel & Co.), Henry Earnshaw (Alex. Lawric & Co. ), 
W. F. Raban (Gotoonga Estate), Arthur Thompson 
(W. J. and H. Thompson, and Noakacharce Tea Com- 
pany), Geo. White & Co., G^w, Wi sou, and Stanton. 
Arthur Oapel & Co., Stenning, Ini-kipp & C \ 
After a very lei.gthy discussion the following resolu- 
tion was mo\ed by Mr. AV". L. Wjtson, t-econded by Mr. 
J. Berry White, and carried unanimously : — " That the 
brokers be requested to neet o^ce a week, aud en- 
deavour by mutual agreement to regulate the offerings 
as far as possible in accordance with the demand at the 
time and the membirs of the Association present 
hereby pledge themselves to support them." 
It is hoped that all members of the Association and 
others interested will give their cordial support. — H. 
and C. Mail. 
Graphite in Norway. — A graphite mine has been 
discovered at Eker, close to Hongsund, Norway. 
The quality is apparently good, and hopes are 
already entertained that this discovery perhaps 
may give rise to the erection of local lead pencil 
manufactories. — Public Opinion. 
Gemming in Ceylon. — The Gemming and Mining 
Company of Ceylon, Limited, have issued a pros- 
pectus, with a capital of £100,000. Messrs. Delmege, 
Reid & Co., of Colombo and Galle, who are interested 
in some of the undermentioned properties, have 
expressed their willingness to act as local agents, 
and the London board oonsider this a guarantee to 
the shareholders that the anticipations contained in 
this prospectus will be fully realised. The eompany 
has been formed for the purpose of acquiring the 
freeholds (subject to a small Government iicenoe) 
of the well-known estates of Everton (native name, 
Kabragallakelle) and Aberfoyle (native name, Kal- 
kanda), being a portion of some of the richest 
gemming land situated in the Rakwana district, 
Ceylon; and to provide capital for developing the 
properties and working the gemming pits already 
sunk and proven. The secretary of the Ceylon Gem 
and Mining |Estates Syndicate, Limiied, points out 
that his company is in no way connected with the 
Gemming and Mining Company of Ceylon. — H, & C. 
Mail. 
