i6 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [June i, 1881 
TEA PREPARATION. 
Bunyan Estate, Maskeliya. 
Deau Sir, — The enclosed circular you may like to 
read over. It refers to " Kinmond's improved patent 
tea drying and green leaf withering machine" — and 
was sent to nie on the subject of manufacturing tea, 
without the aid of charcoal. A machine like this 
has been in use for the last ten years (1 believe) in 
Assam.— Yours faithfully, TOM GRAY. 
From the Indian Tea Gazette we quote as follows on 
this subject : — Years ago, when I first mooted the 
idea that Tea could be fired without charcoal, it was 
scouted. It was said " The fumes of charcoal had some 
chemical and necessary effect." " The Chinese would 
not have used it from time immemorial had a sub- 
stitute, and a cheaper one, been practicable." Such 
were the objections. It is now no longer a question. A 
great part, perhaps the greater part, of the Indian 
produce, is to-day worked with other fuel, and it is 
only a question of time when all of it will be so. 
It is generally admitted that tea prepared in Dryers, 
is more valuable than that fired over charcoal ; and 
begging tlie question that the fumes of charcoal are 
not necessary (the old idea is very nearly exploded), 
it is reasonable that it should be so ; for, if there is 
one thing certain in tea manufacture, it is that speed 
is necessary. Charcoal drying took on an average 
45 minutes. — Tea is fired in the best dryers in 8 min- 
utes. In respect of speed, Kinmond's dryer (which 
is the one I advocate) is certainly unequalled. When, 
as in large factories, 30 to 40 maunds of tea have 
to be made daily, it is evident that, ceeteris paribus, 
the machine which will do most in a given time and 
given space must be the best. The great feature in 
Kinmond's Dryer is the fact that a separate blast of 
hot air is forced through the tea on each tray. In 
all other dryerB I have hear,d of, the same hot air 
passes through each tray successively, and moisture 
is consequently more or less carried upwards through 
each. It is principally in this respect, and in the 
large quantity of work it executes, that I consider the 
excelle nee of Kinmond's dryer to consist. It remains 
only to give shortly the results of a long series of 
experiments with Kinmond's dryer. The valuations 
were made by more than one Calcutta broker : — 
Class. Charcoal dried. Machine dried. 
Pekoe R0 11 0 RO 14 0 
Broken Pekoe RO 10 0 Rl 1 6 
Pekoe £0 16 £0 1 10 
Broken Pekoe £0 15 £0 2 7 
These were made from the same lea f , at the same 
time, with every care. In one of my gardens, after 
Kinmond's dryer was obtained, the teas averaged up- 
wards of 2 annas per lb. more all round. The dryer 
can also be used for withering leaf, which it does 
effectually, but in my opinion no tea dryer is fit for 
that work, inasmuch as to do a large quantity takes 
I'ar too much time. Artificial withering is only 
necessary when the weather is wet and cold, and the 
machine, to do it, should do a large quantity at a 
time. No tea dryer can do this. A. machine fitted 
for that work has yet to be invented, unless Baker's 
wet leaf dryer, of which I have heard good accounts, 
but have not seen, would answer. 
The Grape Vine of Colombo.— Those who are of 
opinion that ihe grape vine does not thrive in Colombo 
would do well to pay a visit to the residence of Mr. 
P. T. Sleyma Lebbe at the junction of New Moor and 
Messengers Streets. The very sight of the bower will 
lead one to believe that Colombo is the natural home 
of the grape vine; but this belief turns to wonder and 
amazement when he look* at the hundreds of bunches 
f luxurious fruits to be seen all over. — Jaffna Patriot. 
MANILLA HEMP. 
At the monthly general meeting of the Agri- Horti- 
cultural Society of India held on Thursday, the 17tli 
February, the followiug circular from Surgeon-General 
Edward Balfour on tbe subject of the Manilla Hem]) 
plant was submitted : — 
Mr. LioUrd, of the Agricultural Department of the 
Government of India, has this year (1880) reported 
on the materials in India, suitable for the manufac- 
ture of paper. Several of the fibre-yielding plants 
are mentioned by him and, amongst others, various 
species of the genus Musa, of the plantain or banana 
tribe, many of which have been grown in the East 
Indies from the most remote times. At pages 54 to 
58 he describes the introduction, in February 1(*58. 
of the Manilla hemp plant, direct from the Philip- 
pines, into the Madras districts, by Colonel (now Sir 
George) Balfour. Never- 
Year. Cwt. £ theless. the import trade 
1877 ... 332,304. ..488,069 return of the United 
1878 ... 421,160.. .551,856 Kingdom show a large 
1879 ... 337,687. ..434,037 and continually- increaa- 
ing delivery of hemp 
from the Philippine Island, now averaging yearly 
about 20,000 tons, valued about half a million sterl- 
ing. I have ascertained from the London Produce 
Brokers, through Dr. Birdwood of the India office, 
that this important article is the true. Manilla hemp 
from the Musa textilis, that the bulk of it is delivered 
in London, where it is made up into cordage and 
ropes for ships, especially for yachts' running rigging, 
being very light, strong, and clean, and also for 
clothes lines. But there is no doubt that the Manilla 
hemp plant, Musa textilis, grows as well in British 
India as other species of the plantain or banana genus, 
and that British India could, in a couple of years, 
supply the London market with all that it could take 
of Manilla hemp fibre. The prospects of benefiting 
British India by creating an export trade from it of 
the extent and value above indicated might well 
incite to considerable efforts to attain success. In 
1861 to 1863 the Madras Revenue Board made con- 
tinuous efforts* to secure 
* 1861, 24th April, No. 2,128 the naturalization of the 
., 31st May, ,, 2,785 plants which Colonel 
1st June, ,, 2,847 Balfour had introduced, 
„ 21st „ ,, 3,226 but their efforts seem to 
„ 25th „ „ 3,301 have been effectual only 
,, 5th August ,, 4,212 in the Wynaad, from 
5th ,, ,, 4,219 which, by 1877, the Con- 
1862, 13th Feb. „ 894 servator of Forests re- 
„ 16th „ ,, 983 plied that the Philippine 
,, 24th Sept., ,, 6,096 variety had been intro- 
duced on several of the 
coffee estates, where it grows remarkably well, and 
no doubt is felt there as to the value of its fibre. 
Revenue and of the Agri-Horticultural Societies might 
The attention of the Boards and Commissioners of 
be re-directed to this plant. 
The Secretary stated that Musa textilis was grown 
for several years in the old garden of the Society, 
but it did not progress satisfactorily, and the cultiva- 
tion was eventually abandoned. 
Cinchona Culture.— We are glad to learn that 
Mr. Karslake, who recently returned to Ceylon, is 
taking out a patent for what he hopes will be a very 
simple and cheap method for renewing tbe bark of 
cinchona trees. 
Sales of Cinchona Bark. — Cinchona bark is selling 
locally, at wonderfully good prices, the Oliphant bark, 
chips of officinalis trees (1*43 of quinine) realized Rl 
per lb. on Saturday, the probable London valuation 
being, 2s 3d or so per lb. Gallamudena bark (succi- 
rubra quill) fetched RL12J. 
