200 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Sept. i, 1893. 
THE SIROCCO WORKS. 
Sir, — As I was lately in Belfast, I availed my- 
self of the opportunity to see the Sirocco Works, and 
think a few lines on the subject may interest you . 
Those who have watched the history of the Sirocco 
cannot fail to have been struck by the energy and 
striving after improvement which Mr. Davidson has 
shown. The evolution of the newest Downdraft from 
the old charcoal Sirocco is remarkable, and can, I 
think, only be the work of a man who invents and 
improves because he cannot help doing so. Mr 
Davidson received the most kindly and lianded me 
over to bis General Manager, Mr. Chambers. The 
Sirocco Works form two Hjdes of a private street, 
the offices and the bulk of the workshops being on 
the right side at present, though new offices and 
workshops are in course of erection on the other side, 
to which a large part of the staff will be transferred 
before long. Some months previous to my visit I 
had asked a Belfest shipbui'der about the Sirocco 
works, and had received the answer " When I want 
to show anyone a model workshop I send them there," 
and to an unprofessional man the praise .seems well 
earned. As soon as one enters the shops on the 
ground floor, where all the heavier work is done, 
one notices the characteristic which runs through 
the whole works, that is the ingenuity and thought 
which has been expended on labour-s-iving appliances. 
Almost every operation in the place is done by 
machinery, even down to stamping out the clamps 
for the corners of the packing cases. So far as I 
saw, the only work done by h.md was a little rivet- 
ting in inaccessible places, fitting up the machines 
when made, and packing them for transport. I 
should like to give you a detailed account of the 
works; but it would take much too long to do so, 
suffice it to say, that I was shown the whole process 
of making Siroccos, from the rougli sheets to the 
finished machine packed in cases. The principal 
improvement in the Downdraft this year are the 
extra " Tray Ports," by which a tray can be witli- 
drawn and examined, and the leaf siiaken up and 
re-spread when half fired, and the insertion above the 
trays of a perforated sheet to equalise the distribu- 
tion of the hot air. I was much interested in the 
sifter, which has just been brought out. It is on tlie 
cylindrical system, which from previous experience 
rather prejudiced me against it; but I am Ijound to 
admit that the tea sifted by this machine on Mr. 
Davidson's own estate wai not in the least grayed 
and was very evenly sized. The machine can be 
made to sift into five sorts, or by a little manipu- 
lation into any less number down to Broken Pekoe 
and Pekoe only, in which case it gives .56 per cent. 
B. P., 40 per cent. P. and 4 per cent. Dust. The 
machine runs so liirhtly that it cau, I believe, be 
worked by hand, though at present it is fitted for 
power. 
Another most ingenious invention, which should 
be a boon to planters, is the double-clinch fastener 
for sewing leather. Anyone who has wrestled with 
a blunt punch and a piece of thick cotton belting 
will appreciate a rivet which is merely placed on 
the surface of the belt and hammered through. 
They are being made from j inch np to inch, 
and the former size will do admirably for mending 
a broken stirrup strap or anything else when the 
cobbler is not handy. I should strongly advise any 
Ceylon man at home to turn over to Belfast and 
see the Sirocco Works. He will see much to in- 
terest him, and will find it a pleasant trip either 
via Liverpool or Fleetwood. 
I was asked lately by a very large tea dealer 
why no one ships in metal chests now. I said planters 
had an idea that grocers did not like them, and 
was told in reply that grocers prefer metal to wooden 
chests, and, judging from the |state in which pack- 
ages leave the hands of the customs people, 1 cau 
quite understand it.— Yours truly, W. B. H.— Local 
t' Times." 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION : TEA BLIGHT i 
FIXED RUPEE: FREIGHTS, tc. 
Abstract of p oceedioKB of • Meeting of <ha 
G'Ueral Comiuittee, held on Fri<1ky, the J0I7 91at. 
The Cbniriuan stated tbat be b^d received • letu-r 
from the Huu'ble J. Buokioijba'u, c.i e., Cb*irm*oof 
the Asiiam Burcb, btxtiog that itc iirmcti wire 
iateuiticg 10 offer a prize of ]t500 tor the best euay 
on the preventiou of blight iu te*. 
Bead letter of thi- 16th June, Irom E litor, Ceylcn 
Observer, Culotnbo, «»kiDg for figures of the antual 
ciop ol 1892 «nl the estimate for 1893; 
also asking how the cjmparioa with pa^t 
year««asto be aljoBie 1 now 1 ti>t *he coDinaeue«in<-ril 
of the eea-OD wa< allcred fr >in lit May to 1st April. 
The iuformatioQ askcl inr b>i<l heeu i-upplied. 
Utad letter of 18th Juo*-, fr ;m Mr. Georae Beton, 
Londi n, on ti e ^ubj. ct of puatiinf; Iu<1i«n Tea iu 
Geraiaiiy, and dnlaiimg for tbH iuforina'i'iu ol the 
Comu iuee, < fforta be ba) biuself male to further 
Indian Ted iuti rest. Mr. S<-tou Has ta ba thtnked 
lor bis letter with an txpre^sion of regret tba>. at 
the preeent mumei.t the General (.'ommittte had lie 
fund) availablu fur this parpo e. 
(JouBiiiered bUo letters of 8tb ani 2lBt June, from 
Mesorij. Scbloobaur au(i Levy, Bcr in, with le'ert-oce 
to the Bime subject, and the same auHwer was to be 
forwarded to tbese gentlemen. 
Keul letitr of Jane 30tb- fron p.'an'ers' St'irea 
and Agency Co., Ld., dr iwing att-iit ou ut th« serious 
( onnequei ces certain ri-Kult t<j the Inliao Tea 
iut'jrea s (ruoi the artificial ru^iuK if ibe rupee io 
India, aud a^kil.g wbi tber the Cummi t e wi re takiug 
stt-p« to place tlieir virwa biforo the G^vtri meat of 
luilia, while )et tlie matter was c»pible of soms 
reme lial fcctiou. 1 be lat'er had be< n repiK d t«, slaiiog 
that tlie Co:nmitiee kuew of ro remeiiW ac'ioa 
that could b ' ttkeii, a' d askiiu f >r tbe lurtber vietrs 
of tlie I'laut-rs' Stor< s and Agency Co.. on tbe matter. 
Read extract fiom a If ttcr of 16th June, from Se- 
cretary, Indian Tea Distiictb' As'Ociat'OD, Londou, 
B'atint; that a form of Agreemeu^ wai to be drann up 
for the higuatura of Bhipp^rn, undertaUng not to 
accept rebate on sbipmenti and holding themselves 
free to s'iip by a' y eteamors availabi ', the ohjecl 
being to ensure coiicertrd action among shippers rc- 
presi'Dting 4U ra:lliou p.ia>jdMi/f tea for the purpose of 
miiiit'ii ing a fair c juipe itioa in freights. 
Ill tbe Biime letter it was atated that a large firm of 
bujerb of liioianTei bad drawn at'entioQ to the lo<s 
occurring in cheats coiita'i.ing dust, and suggeating 
that Planters should | a'.'k all tbetr duBt and small 
broken te&^ iu the patent metnl cbeets so as to avoid 
the diBsatibfactisu and complaints occasioned by tie 
loss of weitiht s istaiucd under the present byetem. — 
Indian Planters' Gazette, Aug. 5. 
"THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST." 
A COMPLIMEKT FBCM A BEOTHEB EDITOB WHO 13 
ALSO AN AOBICnLTUaifeT. 
It is no secret we believe that the Editor of the 
" Examiner " now resides on his '• Franklands " 
cocoout plantation in the Veyaogoda district and 
that for a good many years he has given atten- 
tion to a variety of experiments in low-oountry 
agriculture. This makes the testimony in the fol- 
lowiug letter addressed to us in tbe ordinary 
QourBB of business all the more telling and wel- 
come. We venture to quote as follows :— 
" I have much pleasure in sending herenitb K8 in 
advaLce for the Tropical Agriculturist for tbe current 
year. Tnere is no payment that I grudge less than 
this. The bound volumes from No. 1 are among the 
possessions of tbe estate, and I shonld consider no 
estate properly equipped without the Tropical Agri- 
cidturist. I no'e that you menu to improve it in 
some ways ; but as a repertory of information bear- 
ing on Agriculture it Isdves little ta be desired ; and 
is very cheap in the bargain. Will you please direet 
the Hob, foe last year, eent herewith, to be bound." 
