Feb.  i,  1893.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
S4i 
THE  CEYLON  LAND  AND  PRODUCE  COMPANY. 
The  visit  to  the  island  of  the  Chairman  (Mr.  J. 
Wilson)  of  this  Company  directs  attention  to  its 
progress  and  position,  and  a few  particulars  may 
not  be  without  interest  to  our  readers.  The 
Company  was  formed  if  we  remember  rightly 
about  ten  years  ago,  the  moving  spirits  being 
Mr.  Alex.  Ross  of  North  Matale  and  Dikoya,  and 
Mr.  T-  J.  Lawrance,  formerly  a well-known  Dim- 
bula  planter.  Several  valuable  properties  were 
Becured  for  the  Company  and  Mr.  James  Wilson 
whose  business  connection  had  previously  been 
with  China,  became  Chairman  of  the  Board 
with  two  or  three  capitalists  as  co-Directors  ; Mr. 
Ross  became  Manager  and  Inspector  of  Estates  in 
Ceylon,  and  Mr.  Lawrance,  the  Secretary  to  the 
Board.  The  strong  point  with  the  new  Company 
was  the  oaoao  on  their  estates  ; but  they  quickly 
went  in  for  tea  to  supplement  the  coffee  and  now 
they  havo  altogether  some  2,000  acres  under  tea, 
and  about  800  in  cacao  and  coffee.  When  Mr. 
Ross  returned  to  Europe  some  years  ago,  the 
agency  Bnd  management  of  the  Company’s  busi- 
ness in  the  island  was  taken  over  by  Messrs.  D. 
Edwards  & Co.,  Hatton,  while  Mr.  Forbes  Laurie 
became  Inspector  or  Visiting  Agent  ; and  soon 
after  another  Secretary  took  the  place  of  Mr. 
Lawrance  though  the  latter  retains  a considerable 
interest  in  a Company  which  may  be  said  to 
have  originated  with  him  and  Mr.  Ross.  The 
Company  has  recently  had  a prosperous  career 
and  the  latest  Report,  which  we  publish 
on  page  530,  announced  an  ordinary  divi- 
dend for  the  year  at  the  rate  of  15  per 
cent  besides  6 per  cent  paid  on  the  Preference 
bhares.  The  strong  point  about  the  Company  is  its 
having  several  products  on  its  plantations,  and 
more  especially  cacao  and  Liberian  coffee  in 
addition  to  tea.  We  have  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Wilson 
— who  is  a keen  man  of  business — will  be  interested 
and  pleased  with  all  that  Mr.  Laurie  has  to  tell 
him  about  the  Company's  properties,  and  what 
he  may  see  in  going  round.  These  include 
that  fine  tea  plantation  New  Peradeniya,  with 
some  360  acres  of  the  staple  product ; Fetteresso  in 
Bogawantalawa  with  329  acres  ; Bickarton  in  Mas- 
keliya  with  500  acres ; the  North  Matale  group 
oovering  1,500  acres  in  extent  with  about  400  acres 
in  tea  and  600  in  cacao,  ccffte  arid  tea  ; besides 
some  cardamoms;  also  Alloowihare  and  Dickeria 
in  Matale  West  with  about  550  acres  of  cacao, 
Liberian  coffee  and  some  tea  ; besides  seme  minor 
properties.  We  hope  the  result  of  Mr.  Wilson’s 
visit  will  be  to  extend  the  Company’s  interest  in 
such  products  as  cacao  and  Liberian  coffee  and 
that  he  will  have  a pleasant  time  during  his  stay 
in  the  is’a  d. 
-» 
TEA  SORTING  AND  CUTTING. 
MESSRS.  DAVIDSON  & CO.’S  NEW  MACHINERY. 
There  has  been  a good  deal  of  talk  lately  re- 
garding the  application  of  the  principle  employed 
in  Messrs.  Davidson  & Co/s  Dew  cutting  and 
sorting  machines,  many  considering  that  the 
“ rotary  ” sorter  was  a thiDg  of  the  past,  ana 
one  wbioh  could  not  be  mace  to  give  satisfaction. 
We  are  now,  however,  glad  to  be  able  to  con- 
gratulate Mr.  S.  C.  Davidson  on  having  overcome 
the  difficulties  previously  experienced  ly  the  in- 
vention of  his  new  rotary  sorter,  which,  from  all 
we  hear,  has  turned  out  a great  success,  and  which,  we 
understand,  is  likelyto  be  appreciated  by  the  planting 
community  in  general.  When  it  is  taken  into 
consideration  that  with  this  new  machine  the 
customary  weight  of  upwards  of  half  a ton,  whioh 
in  other  maohines  has  to  be  shaken  backwards 
and  forwards  in  order  to  sort  a few  pounds  of 
tea,  is  entirely  done  away  with,  the  enormous 
saving  in  wear  and  tear,  and  power  required  to 
drive,  will  be  fully  appreciated.  The  new  maohine 
glides  off  without  a vibration  when  the  belt  is 
moved  on  to  the  fast  pulley,  and  it  would  praoti- 
cally  be  noiseless,  were  it  not  for  a couple  of  iron 
balls  which  ar6  placed  on  slides  inside  the  re- 
volving cylinder  ; as  it  rotates  these  balls  drop 
with  a sharp  concussion  twioe  in  every  revolu- 
tion, thus  imparting  a shook  to  the  mesh  whioh 
knocks  out  any  bits  of  tea  that  may  be  stick- 
ing in  it.  In  praotice,  however,  it  is  found 
that  these  balls  are  not  absolutely  required, 
for  should  any  bits  of  tea  stick  in  the  mesh,  a tap 
with  the  cooly’s  hand  on  the  cylinder  frame  will 
do  the  needful. 
The  maker  estimates  that  this  machine  will  sort 
no  less  than  1, COO  lb.  of  tea  per  hour.  The  new 
cutter  and  separator  in  its  construction,  workman- 
ship and  general  appearance  reflects  the  greatest 
credit  on  the  firm  from  whioh  it  emanates.  The 
following  remark  made  by  a well-known  practical 
faotory  superintendent  when  reporting  to  his  firm 
on  the  working  of  the  machines  Epeaks  volumes  in 
itself : — “ The  machines  are  out  and  away  the  best 
in  the  market.”  During  a trial  of  the  sorter  and 
cutter  in  Mayfair  Faotory,  Dikoya,  the  sorter  turned 
out  tea  at  the  rate  of  1,684  lb.  per  hour,  thus 
working  nearly  70  per  cent  over  the  maker’s  esti- 
mate. The  quality  of  the  work  done  was  all  that 
could  be  desired.  That  this  machine  is  capable 
of  manipulating  such  enormous  quantities  of  tea 
in  so  short  a Bpaee  of  time  will  be  found  a very 
great  advantage.  Large  or  small  factories  will  be 
able  to  sort  their  tea  in  a few  minutes  daily  or 
they  need  only  work  their  machine  once  or  twioe 
a month,  thus  economizing  power,  labour,  and  wear 
and  tear  to  beltiDg.  Bhafting  and  maohinery. 
The  main  feature  of  the  cutters  is  that  they 
cut  the  tea  longitudinally  thus  giving  it  a wiry 
appearance  instead  of  the  usual  ” choppiness  ” 
observed  in  most  cut  teas.  The  kniveB  and 
rollers  can  be  regulated  so  as  to  cut  to  any  degree 
of  fineness  and  the  separating  sieve  can  be  set  at 
any  required  angle  so  as  to  take  more  or  less  fine 
tea  out  of  the  coarse.  These  machines  oan  bo 
controlled  in  every  respect  with  remarkable  nicety  ; 
and  we  again  offer  our  congratulations  to  the  in- 
ventor, who  has  spared  neither  time  nor  money 
in  bringing  them  to  perfection,  and  who  has  done 
so  much  for  the  tea  industry  in  general. 
VARIOUS  NOTES. 
A Record  in  Coffee. — Yesterday  coffee  in  Sin- 
gapore was  sold  at  $34  per  pioul.  This  is  a 
record  price  so  far.  May  it  cease  to  be  a record 
soon. — S.  F.  Press,  Jan.  5. 
It  Appears  that  Tea-chewing  is  really  a more  com- 
mon habit  than  most  people  dream  of,  and  I do  not 
see  why  the  H.  He  C.  Mail  should  apply  the  adjec- 
tive infernal  to  it  more  than  to  the  chewing  of  to- 
bacco. There  is  really  a great  deal  of  rubbish  talked 
about  tannin  and  the  nerves.  We  know  Australians 
who  boil  their  tea  for  hours  are  not  particularly 
nervous.  I came  across  a man  here  the  other  day, 
a Queen’s  marksman  who  has  perhaps  gained  more 
prizes  for  shooting  than  any  other  Scotchman  ; he 
says  he  is  a great  tea-drinker,  insists  upon  having  it 
‘drawn’  for  20  mmutes,  and  chews  continualhj  a 
mouthful  of  leaves ! Y7et  this  man  is  about  the  most 
perfect  picture  of  health  I have  seen  for  many  a 
day.  Why  should  we  discourage  the  habit  ? Rather 
prepare  a special  leaf  for  the  purpose,  well  matured 
and  dried  something  like  hops. 
