1026 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [June i, 1882. 
ENQUIRY AS TO THE BEST MODE OF RETAIN- 
ING "TIP" IN MANUFACTURE. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " INDIAF TEA GAZETTE. " 
Sir, — May I be permitted to reply to the above 
enquiry which appeared in your issue of September 
26th last. It will be found that the shorter the time 
in which the leaf is rolled and dried, the fresher and 
brighter the tip, and the better the liquor. The tea 
leaf, in order to assume a condition that it will 
retain its valuable properties, has to be rolled up and 
dried ; during the process of rolling and drying it 
cannot gain anything to enhance or increase these 
properties, but in proportion as these operations are 
prolonged, so are these properties lessened and dis- 
sipated. Six minutes is ample time for rolling the 
leaf, and from 10 to 12 minutes for drying it ; and 
a machine which can efficiently roll one uiaund of 
leaf at a fill in six minutes, is to be preferred, and 
will give a better result than one which can roll 1| 
mds. of leaf at a fill in nine minutes. To prove 
that tea leaf can be rolled, and rolled well, in six 
minutes, I annex copy of a letter from Mr. H. L. 
Grossman, Manager Mim Company, to Williamson, 
Magor & Co. ; and I may add that in order to 
enable the leaf to be rolled in the minimum time, 
and each fill of the machine to be subjected to the 
same amount of rolling action, these Centrifugal Kin- 
mond Rolling Machines which Mr. Crossman's letter 
refers to, have this year bad attached to them a 
pressure Indicator and a work Indicator. The first 
shews the exact pressure on the leaf, and the second 
tiie number of revolutions of the plates, — the two 
together giving a complete index of the rolling action 
given to the leaf. 
London, October 19th, 1881. K. 
Copy of letter from Mr. H. L. Crossman, Manager, Mim 
Tea Company, to Messrs. Williamson, Magor § Co. 
Machinery now in full swing ; all hand rolling 
stopped : a most perfect success : 1 maund of leaf 
in six minutes : the best machine ever invented. I 
am perfectly charmed with its work, and will send 
samples of tea made by it in a few days : no hand 
rolling can compare with it. Engine splendid, and 
does the work well. I have been repaid for my hard 
work in getting all in such tip top order. 
Mim, 10-9-81. (Sd.) H. L. Crossman. 
THE PROGRESS OF INDIAN TEA IN 
AUSTRALIA, 
Mr. J. 0. Moody, of the well-known firm of Messrs. 
James Henty and Co.', Melbourne, in a letter to us 
dated the 10th October last, writes as follows : — 
You will see by the two papers I send you, Argus 
5th October and Age 6th October, that a strong agit- 
ation iB going on, in favor of an Adulteration Act 
for the colony, and which I hope, when passed, will 
shut out a great deal of China rubbish that at present 
floods this market. 
Messrs. Cosmo Newbery and Frederic Dunn, whose 
names are so freely used, are analytical chemists con- 
nected with the Laboratory of our Industrial and 
Technological Mnseum, the former as Superintendent, 
and the latter as his assistant. These gentlemen have 
for some years past devoted considerable attention 
to the analysis of tea, and are well up in the subject. 
The large exhibit (some 500 different samples) shown 
at our Melbourne International Exhibition, and of 
which Mr. Newbery was Superintendent of Juries, 
placed at their disposal for analysis, and probably 
gave them opportunities uuequallod by any previous 
investigators into the chemical analysis of teas. 
You could aid their investigations by procuring for 
thorn Bamples of your different growths of tea from 
three or four districts, say a few leaves in air-dried 
condition only, that is to say, having passed through 
no manufacturing process, and a few samples of the 
same kinds manufactured. Have these samples care- 
fully marked with all particulars and the time of 
picking, &c. 
Some of your planters would probably be glad to 
furnish samples for the sake of the investigations it 
opens up, and the practical information it may give. 
Ceylon has already furnished some samples which 
are being analysed. I may mention that there is 
difficulty in getting the air-dried leaves over in a 
sound condition, but with a little care this can be 
managed. Perhaps packing loosely between Swedish 
filtering paper (procurable at any chemist's) would 
prove a good plan. 
With regard to the request made by Mr. Moody 
for samples of the different growths of tea from our 
various tea districts, we trust our readers will heartily 
respond to the call. We will be happy to forward 
free of cost all samples intended for Mr. Moody sent 
to this office. The teas should be carefully packed 
in tea lead and soldered down securely. As they are 
intended for the purpose of analysis, from 5 to 6 ounces 
should be sent of each kind.— Indian Tea Gazette. 
COCOA CULTIVATION IN DOLOSBAGE, 
CEYLON. 
It appears that the monster pod of cocoa, recently 
shewn in Colombo as the produce of an estate in 
Dolosbage West, was gathered from a tree of about 
eight years old, growing in the same field with old 
coffee, not in any way superior to many others about 
it, but on the contrary perhaps less well grown than 
others. These trees have had, it appears, no special 
cultivation, and with regard to manuring they only 
received their due share when the coffee was manured. 
The soil on which it was produced is of a medium 
quality and character, but we may mention that the 
particular tree from which the pod was taken, as 
well as others in the vicinity, had had the benefit 
of partial shade from large jak trees growing at 
intervals amongst the coffee. 
At the present time there are on the same tree 
from which the giant pod was taken, a number of 
others nearly as fine. One of these growing close to 
where the big pod was taken from, is about three 
quarters grown, and promises to be as large as the 
other. There are also a number of other trees in 
the vicinity having some very fine pods, which would 
appear to weigh from one to two pounds each, glad- 
dening the eye of the proprietor as he watches the 
development of this interesting and promising new 
cultivation. 
No doubt the cocoa tree is in its earlier days 
somewhat capricious in its growth anil development, 
looking for certain conditions without which it makes 
but poor progress, but when once fairly established 
in the ground it appears to be hardy enough, and in 
its after growth it may be left pretty much to its 
own devices and the aid which nature is prepared 
to give it. What it does require, however, to in- 
duce a good development, are fairly deep soil, partial 
shade, and shelter from strong winds,. So far as ex- 
perience yet. goe^, it would appear that it thrives 
better as a mixed cultivation with other produce than 
in fields devoted especially to its own growth. By 
the little cultivation in after life required by it : by 
its constant and prolific bearing, it holds out excellent 
prospects to the planter under suitable conditions, 
when it is bound to pay well. It would appear ae 
though it were well suited for native villagers in the 
plots of ground about their dwellings, and might well 
be taken up in preference to the cultivation of Liberian 
coffee. — C. Times. 
