July 2, 1888,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
AMERICAN FRUIT EVAPORATOR. 
From the Bulletin of the Botanical Department, Jamaica. 
Coffee. — Mr. John MacLean, Cold Spring, and 
Mr. Marshall, Chester Vale, imported one of th< se 
Machines (N°0), for the purpose of testing its value 
in drying Coffee. They cured a certain amount with 
this small machine in a single day, but were of 
the opinion that the berries were "over cured, on 
account of the temperature being kept too high. 
A small sample of this Coffee was sent to I nglaud 
just as it was, without pickiug or sizing, and the 
following Report was sent back by the Brokers : — 
" We have carefully examined the sample of Jamaica 
Coffee cured by the hoc air, and report that the 
size of the berries is good, but that the Coffee appears 
soft and waiery in character. The colour is dull, 
approaching that known in Centnl America as cloudy, 
and it is mixed with pale bleached berries which 
detract from the value. It would be more easy to 
say how far the process is answerable for these 
defeots, if we knew the Estate's marks so as to 
compare it with Coffee cured on the Barbecues. The 
market value to-day 13 92/ to 93/ per cwt. " Mr. Mac- 
Lean mentions that the same Coffee, sun-dried, 
realised 123/, but that the machine-dried Coffee sent 
was not a fair sample, as it had not been picked. He 
says, " there can be no doubt about the curing of 
Coffee, for what we did, being over-cured proves thb 
success heyond a doubt. " 
Mr. James Francis, Cedar Valley, has tried this 
same Machine, and has sent the following report 
of his experience : — 
"The O machine with its eight tray capacity, 
will only hold a quarter of a tub of parchment Coffee. 
Coffee from the washing tank, which has been 
drained upon a barbaoue, will, with a temperature 
of 140° to 180 u F. dry coffee suflicieutly in six 
hours to place it out of danger, another six hours 
will almost cure the berries ; two hours longer, and 
the Coffee will be cured as for shipment. It can 
be readily understood that as it would take 160 days, 
of 14 hours each, to cure one tierce of Coffee, I 
had to confine myself to limited experiment*, and 
though I would be rendering greater service to the 
Coffee growing community, if I cured a certain 
quantity in the first stage only by the Machine, 
completing the process in the suu and testing the 
market with it. The silver skin comes away more 
readily from niachine-curcd Coffee than from sun- 
oured ; this is an advantage, The colour is cbauged, 
and it may prove not so pleasing to the eye as sun- 
cured- Coffee cured in the Machine yields, or goes 
back, muoh more quickly than suu-cured; this defect 
Would, I think, be obviated by allowing a certain 
time between each of the three or four stages of 
ouring. Curing in the Machine needs constant and 
careful attention, or one set of trays will give Coffee 
oured irregularly, aud iu the last stage, much wight 
be ipoiled for the market, by over-curing ; the Coffee 
then takes on the appearance of semi-parched ber- 
ries. The question will naturally be asked, is tho 
Machine good for auythiug '? Yes. 1 consider it a 
valuable addition to auy Coffee works, particularly 
in districts where there is rain during the early pick- 
ing of Coffee. With a Machiuo of sufficient oapacity, 
Coffee could be put out of danger, bagged iu course 
bags, and piled up so as to let air pass through. 
Its use in thin way would save many Coffoe growers 
from much loss. I would willingly, and with much 
interest, have carried on further experiments, had 
tlie Machine been larger. I have tasted really good 
Coffee from berries cured in the .Machine." 
" Tka — Tho evaporator has been tried in the manu- 
facture of Tea at Cinchona. Three samples were sent 
to Kew with the view of testing whether tho Maohinc- 
dried Tea was superior to that cured on iron over 
a fire. A sample of the latter was labelled No. 1, 
the samples of tho uiaohiue Tea were called Nos. '2 
* 3. These samples wero sent to England, unfortu- 
nately, in mustard tins, which impaired their 
valuo considerably, and this is what the Brokors 
refer to iu their letter and report subjoined : — 
A. G. Stanton, Esq., to Royal Gardens, Kew 
3, Rood Lane, London, E. C, 2lst December, 1887. 
Dkar Ma. Moulds, — I duly received your letter of 
the 29th instant, together with tho three sample* 
of Jamacia Tea, two being marked Nos. 1 and 2 
and the third having no uumber ; this letter I have 
called No. 3. As 1 have given in the enclosed Re- 
port a pretty full statement of the various character- 
istics of the samples, I will only here add that 
the liquors of all are very serviceable for the Londou 
market; the samples are all slightly impaired, No. 
1 being especially so. I shall always be happy to 
report upon any samples and to do wh tjver I may 
be able in the way of assisting intending Planters 
with any information or suggestions which they may 
require.— Believe me, &o., (Signed) A. G. Stanton. 
MesShs. Wilson and Stanton to Royal Gardens, 
Kew. 
13, Rood Lane, London, B.C., 31st December, 1887. 
Dkak Sir,— We beg to hand you our characters and 
valuations of Musters Packages of Tea per mail from 
Jamaica : — 
Sample Species and Character. Value per lb. 
No. 1 Unassorted Tea £0 1 1 
The dry leaf is well rolled but is much too grey in 
colour, aud wanting in tip ; somewhat UDeven and 
inclined to be dusty. 
The liquor is fairly dark and full with some flavour 
The infused leaf is regular and of a fairly bright 
oolour. 
No. 2 Unassorted Tea 0 12 
The dry leaf is good colour but is too criukley, 
and has not been properly rolled. 
The liquor is dark and full, and of a nice Uav UT. 
The infused leaf is regular and of a fairly brigl t 
colour. 
No. 3 Broken Orange Pekoe ., £0 18 
Dry leaf is good colour, aud with a few tips ; but 
is rather open ragged and too uueven. 
The liquor is dark, full, and of good flavour. 
The infused leaf is bright and regular. 
General. — The above Teas are chiefly valuable in the 
London Market on account of their liquors, the 
manipulation of the dry leaf being faulty. We 
prefer the samples marked Nos. 2 a id 3, the 
leaf being better in colour; and liquors of finer 
quality arid flavour. No. 1 is too soft iu liquor and 
resembles China Tea, Nos. 2 and 3 being more 
like Ceylon Tea. 
All the samples have a peculiar smel 1 , and taste 
of some substance quite foreign to Tea ; for this 
defect we have made due allowance in our Keport. 
The leaf of No. 1 is quite limp instead of being 
crisp, the sample has probably been damaged 
in transit. 
(Sgd. ) Gow, Wilson and Stanton. 
D. Morris, Esq., Royal Gardens, Kew. 
Mr. Morris writes : — " We want now some good 
samples of Jamaica Tea sent over iu chests, and 
grown and manufactured by private planters. This 
would bo a decided step iu advance. " 
Cinchona Bauk. — One lot of Bark has been dried 
in the Machine at Cinchona with very fair results. 
It was evident at the time that the temperature 
was too high, and that the bark would consequently 
suffer by dissipation of a portion of the alkaloids. 
It was however submitted to the Island Chemists, 
together with a sample of the same bark dried on 
a barbecue. Ho reports that from the barbecue dried 
bark, he extracted 3'f>5 per cent of alkaloids, whilst 
from the machine dried hi; obi lined 3 - 38 per cent, 
and that the latter was harder and more difficult to 
grind. This experiment is quite sufficient to show 
I h it the Machine would be useful to Cinchona Planters 
in drying their bark iu plantations high up on tlu! 
mountains, and ditant from any barbecues. 
Corn (Muizm Although there has been no oppor- 
tunity here of drying Corn iu tho Machine, i! is 
C.rlaiu that either by kilu-dryiug or by the Old ol 
