THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1882. 
is turning out larger than estimated, and we trust 
will be quite double that of last year. — We are, dear 
sir, yours faithfully, ALSTONS & Co. 
'J , a Mitmn fcf the porta of Tuticorin and Madras 
only makes a difference of 44,000 cwt. in the coffee 
exports for 1879-80. We now want the export return 
for these ports for last year, and for Quilion, whence 
we are told as much as 20,000 cwt. were sent in two 
years. Travancore as a whole, in the year ending 
August 1880, exported 44,168 cwt. of coffee, including 
a good deal from native gardens. Less than 30,000 
cwt. of this are accounted for in the above return. 
THE CEYLON TEA ENTERPRISE. 
The great desideratum being improvement in the 
preparation and manufacture of our Ceylon tea, in 
order to ensure its ready acceptance with the dealers 
at remunerative prices,, the question of "machinery" 
will now become the one oi most practical moment 
to the planter. Unlike coffee, — the final and more 
tedious part of the preparation of which is attended 
to in Colombo, outside the planter's responsibility 
altogether, — it is pretty evident in the case of 
tea, that to do full justice to the produce, the 
''factory" snould be a local one, so far as each 
district, if not each large plantation, is concerned. 
"District Tea Factories," in fact, must become the 
order of the day. It is however, impossible, in these 
hard times, to expect each tea-planter with from 40 to 
100 acres under cultivation to be able to provide 
rolling, drying and sifting machinery for himself in 
an adequate tea-house. Under these circumstances, we 
are glad to learn that in more than one district, 
arrangements are being made to establish a Central 
Factory at which the tea leaf can be delivered and 
either cured at a fixed change for the planter or 
bought from him outright, as delivered, and prepared 
on account of the Factory owner. 
In connection with tea preparing machinery we 
have just been looking over the magnificent album 
of Messrs. Marshall of Gainsborough, who give a 
number of very clear representations of Jackson's 
patent machines, of which they are the makers. 
These photographs include the following: — 
Standard cross-action Tea Rolling Machine. 
An improved single action ditto. 
The improved Excelsior ditto. 
Improved Excelsior cross-action ditto. 
Improved small size universal ditto with suitable 
vertical engine and boiler for driving same. 
Ditto in connection with suitable Bullock gear for 
There is here enough of variety both in size, 
character and cost to suit all local requirements, and 
we have no doubt that Messrs. John Walker & Co., who 
are the Ceylon Agents, will be able to give full 
information and to shew models of most of these 
machines. Already they have fitted up more than 
one factory in our planting districts; and we are 
inclined to believe that, as time rolls on, as great 
a business will be done by them and other Firing 
in Ceylon in tea machinery, as has been done in 
the past in coffee pulpers, peelers and sizers. Not 
only so, but we may anticipate, by and bye, special; 
improvements by Ceylon planters and engineers in 
the most approved tea-preparing machineiy of the 
present day; for, in reference to the preparation of 
tea as of other new products, there is considerable scope 
for invention and modification before Ceylon colonists. 
