466 
i HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January z, 1888. 
by fully 20 per cent. The experience is very gene- 
ral, and we, like others, look to " next year " for 
more than compensating results. All looks promis- 
ing. The cause of the irruption of destructive coffee 
rats was the old story of the flowering and dying 
down of the nilu undergrowth in the forests, — 
forests which are now carpeted with seedlings of the 
strobilantJuus. It may be a serious question whether 
at the next dying down of the nilu bushes the 
famished rats may not attack our tea. At present 
the rodents resemble the cardinal who "made a 
distinction,"' — between soup and hot water. As 
yet rats have shown as little predilection 
for tea, as have grubs and other pests. 
Some patches of coffee seen yesterday were 
badly affected with leaf disease, and green bug 
could be found if looked for. The debility super- 
induced in the trees by repeated attacks of leaf 
disease became obvious in cases where a sucker 
was covered with fruit, while the bush whence it 
arose was leafless and white-branched. The tempta- 
tion to give plants of the old staple another year 
is strong, and where the tea has been only just 
planted the uprooting process may be safely 
delayed. Next year, however, will be the last year 
of the life of the proportion of coffee of which 
this year it will not be said " Why cumbereth it 
the ground ?" Yesterday morning only 5 cents 
of an inch of rain were measured, there being a 
natural reaction from the great fall of close on 
2 inches in the previous 24 hours. This morn- 
ing's measurement, however, gave 66 cents, the 
rain having fallen very freely from about noon to 
between 2 and 3 p. m. yesterday. The effect 
of one limb of a magnificent rainbow lying 
along the range which separates us from 
Nuwara Eliya was exquisitely beautiful. The forest 
trees are all out in full flush, and the members 
of the large Eugenia family called dambas are 
rapidly putting on those robes of red, which in 
less than two months will clothe the mountain 
forests with tints such as autumn gives to the 
woods of Europe. This morning rose clear as 
crystal after the rain, but moisture was still in the 
atmosphere, as was proved by the strata of deep 
blue which alternated with bars of white cloud 
over Haputale. The sun shone hot, and as the day 
advanced the sky became filled with masses of 
fleecy clouds. We knew what all this and the 
warm temperature betokened, and as I write at 20 
minutes to 2 p.m., the rain is pouring down. Now 
as previously there is scarcely sufficient movement 
of the air to stir a leaf. As we have still a hew 
clearing to plant, as well as " supplies" to put out, 
we are rejoicing in the rain on that account and 
on the brightness of heat of the sun for the wither- 
ing as well as the flushing of the tea. The nights 
are as yet as warm almost as the days, so that 
we suspect the settled fine weather will not set in 
for a week at least and probably not for a fort- 
night yet. Let us hope that on this occasion 
Nuwara Eliya and its neighbourhood may be spared 
the cold winds and the frosts, which have un- 
favourably distinguished the two previous seasons. 
8th December 1887. 
Kainfall yesterday CI cents, and a cloud laden sky 
promises more. Temperature remains mild. 
JACKSON'S NEW TEA DEIEES. 
Mr. Jackson has been working hard, and has 
devoted much time during the past summer, at the 
v -i I s of Messrs. Marshall, Sons and Co., Limited, 
at (iaiiisbnrougli, towards perfecting his new Tea 
1 trims. We are pleased to learn that he has been 
rewarded for his paius. lie has cot only succeeded 
in instituting several very marked improvements, but 
he has, moreover, received the most pleasant 
of all proofs that his labours are appreciated, in 
a thoroughly satisfactory demand for his driers. It 
is unnecessary to illustrate the most recent improve- 
ments in this column, as illustrations are given else- 
where in our advertisement pages, to which the reader 
can turn. These illustrations show the material and im- 
portant nature of the changes effected in the con- 
struction of the driers, particularly in the heating stoves, 
which are now quite accessible from the tea house floor. 
The air-heating pipes are so arranged that any one of 
them can be withdrawn and replaced in a few minutes, 
even when the fire is burning, and without one having 
to touch the driers at all. It is evident at a glance that 
the new form of construction effects a considerable sav- 
ing in brick- work and fuel. 
The Venetian Driers have acquired another great ad- 
vantage : they are now self-delivering. When the bot- 
tom drying surface is opened the tea is at once dis- 
charged outside the machine, on to the tea house floor 
itself. Here again the absence of a pit is a manifest 
convenience, and a saving of time- It will be allowed 
that the above alterations form a very creditable out- 
come of a summer's work. — S. & C. Mail, Nov. 18th. 
MESSES. MAIN AND DICK'S NEW TEA 
WHITHEEEE. 
We are informed by Messrs. A. J. Main and Co. 
that success continues to attend the trials of Messrs. 
Main and Dick's new wet-leaf drying and wither- 
ing machinery. Mr. Dick, who is still in India, 
has telegraphed home to the effect that he has 
had a most successful public trial in wet-leaf 
drying and withering, which has given general 
satisfaction to those who witnessed it. We understand 
that these processes of drying wet-leaf and then wither- 
ing it was accomplished in an hour, which, it will be 
allowed, is f> marvellously short time if the leaf re- 
mained uninjured, as was apparently the case, since 
the telegram leads it to be understood that the result 
was thoroughly satisfactory. Such an achievement can 
only be regarded as of the utmost importance to tea 
growers, as it not only minimizes the amount of roofed 
space, time and labour required, but prevents deteriora- 
tion of the quality of the tea in wet weather, and pre- 
vents that congestion of accumulated leaf which has 
so often been the despair of the tea-maker in pro- 
longed wet weather. By drying wet leaf it should 
be understood that we do not refer to drying tea as 
this machine, as at present constructed, is not in- 
tended for that purpose. — H. & C. Mail, Nov.T8th. 
o 
AUSTRALIAN FEUIT IN INDIA. 
Mr. Jas. Inglis, who had for some time charge 
of the Indian Court at the Melbourne Exhibition 
of 1880-81, and who is now Minister of Public 
Instruction in New South Wales, has sent us papers 
referring to a consignment of New South Wales 
oranges and lemons sent by him to Calcutta. The 
fruit was simply packed in ordinary boxes which 
were stowed as ordinary cargo, there being no 
refrigerator in the horse steamer in which they 
were despatched. The voyage was protracted, and 
about 30 per cent of the oranges were spoiled. 
The remainder, though not of superior quality, sold 
readily at one shilling per dozen, no Sylhet oranges 
being in the market. If sent in the proper months, 
therefore, and in fast steamers provided with cold 
rooms, Australian oranges would probably sell well 
in Calcutta. But for lemons there seems to be 
no demand, the people preferring the flavour of 
their own limes. It is possible that consignments 
of Ceylon oranges may yet be sent to India, yield- 
ing profitable results. 
