THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  r,  1892. 
186 
Extracting  Machines,  and  an  engine  of  eight-horse 
power  will  drive  such  a set. 
After  brushing,  the  fibre  should  be  made  into  small 
bundles  of  about  three  or  four  in.  in  diameter,  secured 
by  a strand  of  the  fibre.  These  bundles  are  then 
pxessed  into  Bales  of  two  or  three  cwt.  each.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  cover  the  Bales,  as  the  iron  hoops 
are  apt  to  injure  the  fibre.  When  strong  rope  or 
fibre  bands  are  used  instead  of  iron  hoops,  the  bales 
can  be  exported  without  being  covered,  except  in  case, 
of  white  fibre,  when  it  should  have  a slight  coverings 
to  protect  it  from  the  dirt. 
There  seems  to  be  common  sense  in  all  this. 
The  description  of  the  maohine  (“  Extraotoi  No. 
A”)  likely  to  be  most  useful  in  Ceylon  is  as 
follows : — 
This  Machine  is  furnished  with  strong  framing 
feeding  arrangement,  drum  with  brass  knives,  iron 
cover  over  drum,  pullies,  and  special  apparatus  for  the 
description  of  Fibre  to  be  treated.  When  ordering  I 
particularly  request  my  clients  to  state  the  descrip- 
tion of  fibre  they  intend  to  treat.  Water  connecting 
apparatus  to  supply  the  necessary  water  to  the 
machine.  This  Machine  will  produce  about  2£  cwt. 
of  Fibre  per  12  working  hours.  Gross  weight  21  cwt. 
Price,  £65  Os  Od. 
Some  of  our  mercantile  or  engineering  readers 
who  have  had  experience  of  fibres  and  their  values 
will  be  able  to  say  if  2£  cwt.  of  clean  fibre  say, 
of  pineapple,  in  12  hours  (nearly  22  lb.  per 
hour)  is  likely  to  be  profitable  in  a commercial 
sense.  The  maohine,  when  landed  in  Ceylon, 
would  oost  not  less  than  R1,000,  and  a 
preliminary  maohine  seems  to  be  deemed  neces- 
sary which  will  almost  double  this  sum.  This 
maohine  iB  described  as  follows  : — 
Leaf  Squeezing  Machine,  for  squeezing  and  crush- 
ing the  leaves  previous  to  extracting  the  fibre  ; con- 
sisting of  cast-iron  framing,  with  heavy  iron  rollers 
running  in  strong  bearings,  apparatus  for  adjusting 
rolls,  arrangement  for  water  supply,  gearing,  fast  and 
loose  pullies.  Gross  weight  2|  tons.  Power  required 
2-horse.  Price,  £55  Os  Od. 
Then  the  brushing  maohine,  the  use  of  whioh  is 
so  strongly  recommended,  is  thus  described  and 
priced : — 
Brushing  machine,  for  Flax,  Hemp,  and  other- 
fibres,  with  iron  framing,  drum,  door,  pullies,  &c. 
Gross  weight,  1 ton.  Power  required,  1J  H.P.  Price, 
£70.  Os.  Od. 
And  finally  there  is  a — 
Softening  Machine,  for  softening  the  fibre  and  for 
breaking  it.  With  strong  iron  framing,  three  pairs  of 
fluted  iron  rollers,  rotatory  motion,  feed  and  delivery 
tables.  This  machine  is  especially  to  be  recom- 
mended for  all  descriptions  of  Fibres,  and  is  of  in- 
valuable use  in  all  Fibre  Factories.  The  action  of 
the  rollers,  in  the  case  of  Flax  and  Hemp,  breaks 
the  straw  without  injuring  the  fibre,  and  delivers  the 
material  ready  for  scutching.  Gross  weight,  lj  tons. 
Power  required,  If  H.P.  Price,  £65  Os  Od. 
This  is  pretty  well,  if  the  sale  of  machines  is  the 
object  in  view,  but  we  seem  as  far  off  as  ever 
from  one  simple  and  cheap  fibre-cleaning  machine, 
unless  “Extractor  No.  A”  should  real)y_  answer 
all  purposes,  save  the  cleansing  of  the  fibre  in  water, 
preparatory  to  drying.  We  need  not  quote  the 
descriptions  of  “Extractor  No.  B ” for  coir  fibre,  £40; 
or  the  bark  (of  trees)  crusher  and  extractor,  £80 ; 
or  the  maohine  for  “ willowing  ” ooir  fibre,  £65  ; 
or  the  coconut  husk  crusher,  £40 ; or  the  seeding 
maohine,  for  flax,  &c..  £35-10  ; or  the  sautching 
maohine  £54  ; or  of  hydraulic  presses  and  pumps 
at  £210.  But  it  is  well  to  know  that 
All  prices  include  packing,  cases  and  delivery  in 
Liverpool. 
Although  it  is  giving  an  advertisement  gratis,  we 
quote  the  concluding  portion  of  Mr.  Leman’s 
very  comprehensive  circular,  embracing,  as  it  does, 
machinery  for  the  heavy  work  of  crushing  tree 
bftrh  and  coconut  husk,  and  for  the  muoh  lighter 
task  of  tbecleansiDg  of  cotton,  wool,  and  feathers : — 
Spinning  and  weaving  machinery,  consisting  of 
Hackles,  Spinning  Machines,  Doubling  Machines, 
Opening  Machines,  Cop  Winding  Machines,  Warping 
Machines,  Power  Looms,  Cutting  Machines,  Calenders, 
Shearing  Machines,  Plaiting  Machines,  Sewing 
Machines, 
Special  power  looms  for  coir  matting  and  manilla 
carpeting. 
Self-contained  rope  making  machines,  to  strand 
and  close  in  one  operation,  to  make  Hopes  up  to  12 
inches  in  circumference. 
Horse  Hair.  Flock,  Oakum,  and  Waste  Machinery'. 
Cotton  gins.  Wool  cleaning  machines.  Feather  clean- 
ing machinery.  Special  attention  given  to  the  equip- 
ment of  Factories  for  producing  sacking,  ropes, 
twines,  &c.,  from  all  descriptions  of  fibres,  fibrous 
wastes,  &c.  Improved  steam  engines  and  fibre  burn- 
ing boilers  combined.  For  hilly  countries  and  trans- 
port on  mule  backs,  I construct  all  above  machines 
for  packing  in  small  cases.  Cattle  gears,  turbines, 
and  water  wheels,  all  constructed  to  save  weight  and 
bulk.  All  information  relating  to  the  treatment  of 
the  various  fibres,  full  technical  particulars,  plans,  &c., 
given  gratis  to  my  foreign  and  colonial  clients. 
AGRICULTURAL  EXHIBITION  AT  QUILON. 
To  the  Dewan  of  Travancore  we  are  indebted  for  a 
copy  of  a report  on  an  exhibition  held  in  Feb- 
ruary last.  From  this  document  we  take  some 
interesting  extracts: — 
“Under  class  V.  the  coconuts  exhibited  were  far 
superior  to  those  in  former  years.  One  bunch  had 
153  nuts  and  was  much  admired,  the  number  re- 
quired in  the  Prize  List  being  only  40  nuts  per  bunch. 
The  next  largest  bunch  had  95  nuts  in  it.  But  the 
nuts  w'ere  larger  in  size.  The  largest  peeled  coconut 
measured  one  foot  in  circumference,  and  was  *ound 
R6.3  in  weight.  The  largest  coconut  in  husk  was 
only  20  inches  in  circumference  and  weighed  R168 
being  a little  less  than  the  largest  exhibited  on  the 
last  occasion. 
“ It  is  often  said  that  we  are  a poor  people,  that 
capital  is  wanting  in  Travancore  for  any  large  under- 
taking. This  is  true  to  some  extent.  But  consider- 
ing the  fact  that  large  farming  is  nearly  unknown 
and  that  this  is  a country  of  small  farms  the  want 
of  capital  is  only  an  excuse,  the  want  of  enterprise 
is  the  reality.  Enterprise  by  itself  can  do  much. 
I was  pleased  to  find  that  a humble  copyist  in  one 
of  our  taluqs  drawing  a pittance  of  R8  as  monthly 
pay  turned  a piece  of  waste-ground  into  a beautiful 
garden  by  his  own  manual  labour  unaided  by  capital. 
Some  years  ago  he  took  up  an  acre  of  waste-land 
and  planted  it  himself,  putting  up  a small  shed  in 
it  as  a residence  for  his  wife  and  children.  I am 
himself,  I mean,  by  his  own  hands,  devoted  to  this 
honest  labour  all  the  spare  time  which  his  humble 
office  afforded.  The  result  is  that  this  little  garden 
l holds  102  coconut  trees,  11  jack  trees,  46  arecanut 
trees,  14  mango  trees,  4 cashew-nut  trees,  3 marotti 
trees  and  6 anjili  trees,  with  the  valuable  pepper 
vines  clasping  to  the  last  mentioned.  The  little 
property  which,  when  he  took  it  up  was  worth  nothing, 
is  now  worth  R600.  For  such  devotion  he  ought 
to  be  looked  upon  as  an  example  to  his  lazier  neigh- 
bours. He  has  thus  earned  more  by  his  spade  than 
by  his  pen. 
“Under  yams,  the  exhibits  have  particularly  been 
»ood.  The  tapioca  exhibited  was  10  ft.  long  and  was 
tremendously  big  at  its  root.  The  removing  of  it 
j from  the  ground'  must  have  been  done  with  great 
I 0are  for  the  roots  had  grown  in  all  directions.  The 
biggest  chena  which  got  a prize  was  3 ft.  5 inches., 
j in  circumference  and  weighed  111, 890. 
“Under  the  head  of  vegetables,  the  ash-pumpkin 
I and  keerathandu  from  the  Shenkottah  Taluq  were 
j admired.  The  pumpkin  was  15  inches  long  and  36 
’ inches  in  circumference,  and  weighed  R2,016.  The 
| keerathandu  had  grown  to  a tremendous  height 
