782 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May 1, 1901. 
facing of tea alone, as one or two of the ingredients, 
used by such Cliinese f ai mers as com bine tea 
and sericulture cannot be more particularly 
alluded to for fear of creating a prejudice against, 
all and any green teas our planters may send 
forward. No pans were used at any stage in the 
manufacture of r,he Belmont tea.s or other estates 
in the Nilgiris on which tlie same system of 
manufacture, iulroduced in 1871, was adopted ; 
nor were any fabulous prices realised ; the London 
auction figure was '2s. 9d., the retail price at Ooty 
and Madras Ks 1-8 per pound. The use of bags 
was ta lien up under a misconception, the leal being 
placed in these and lolied, in an old-fasliioned 
mangle, to wither, after the invention of Mr 
James Nelson on the Labac garden in Cachar in 
the same year ; the fallacy of the operation as to 
mechanical rolling soon became apparent, and it 
wis at once abandoned by the owner of Tudor 
Hall, who alone tried it. No secret was ever 
madeastotbe method of manufacture pursued; 
tut as carious visitors intruded at unseasonable 
hours, requesting rather liberal samples, a notice 
had to he (daeed on th" gateway tiiat thepreiuises 
were private and not|iublic. 
The expeiiments carried out by Mr McGuire 
in Oeylon tend to show that with suitable build- 
incs the teinperatuie needed to secure that neces- 
sary for developing the syrupy flavour can be 
had in hill and plain alike, irrespective of climatic 
influences. Should this be correct, all difficulties 
of fitting our teas to suit any tasle niay be con 
sidered at an end ; and although ihe spreading out 
or keeping leaf in a state of suspended animation, 
as it were, may involve the erectioii 'A a cooling 
house, such need not be more expensive than the 
sheet-iron rooms on board our large fruit and meat 
carrying vessels; whilein Assam and Bengal, atany 
rate, we have no dearth of a non-heat-eondueting 
material in the coimmon sola of the paddy fields; 
refrigerating appliances also are becoming cheaper 
and more simple in construction almost daily. 
Adverting to the " steamers," of Messrs Dean and 
Kae, that Messrs P R Buchanan and Co. suggest 
should be sent up to some gardens for green tea 
manufacture, from all we can learn these are a 
revival or adaptation of the jacketed Steam pans 
invented by Mr. Thomas Barry of the firm of Barry 
Smith in 1861-62, Though only used for ijanniiig 
half-rolled tea, and consequently abandoned when 
all panning was discontinued, they would have been 
useful in withering; but, as Mr Davidson with his 
above-mentioned cool wither has anticipated them, 
unless they will serve some other purpose, no 
fiirtlier allusion need be accorded them. We are 
not in a position to say whether the process of 
manufactiire now pursued at Belmont is the 
same as introduced in 1871, inifc a glance at the 
Directory shows that, besides Alessrs MacDowell 
of Madras, there aie seventeen residents round 
about Ooty and (Jonoor who can vouch for the 
superiority in flavour and suitability of taste those 
teas were distinguished for at the time we refer 
to. We do not see that any difficulties present 
themselves in making tea in the manner suggested. 
Slow rolling, constant separation of the leaf, re- 
tention of tlie juice, with ordinary care in carrying 
colouring to tlie verge ot, but not up to, actual 
ferment'tion, are not much to demand from the 
manufacturer ; and, if meteorological vagaries can 
be rendered of tio account, night working would be 
unnecessary. The present machin-ry is all that 
is required, wliile, if pans should be deemed neces- 
sary, those of suitable size are procurable ia almost 
any b;iz^ar throughout the country. In conclusion, 
we may mention that the late Dr. Barry con- 
tended, and his opinion was confirmed by other 
chemists, that flavour in tea was better attained 
by direct heat from charcoal than by any hot 
air or other means of curing. Unfortunately the 
wholesale destruction of wood that has gone on ia 
the tea districts renders a universal return to 
charcoal out of the question ; and we our.-elves do 
not think the above contention can he sustained, 
as the slump in tea has arisen from over-production 
and throwing coarse mediums on the mai ket ; 
while we believe the Amei ican, Colonia', and 
home aemaud for sweetish Congous can be as well 
met by siroe o dried tea as by the old methods 
or modifications thereof. It would be advisable, 
however, that this matter should be set at rest; 
and we invite one or two of our readers to prepare 
samples in tlie above described manner for suij- 
mission to the London trade; for, high as the price 
of charcoal has risen, .'ome means of cheapening it 
or substituting an inodorous fuel in its place may be 
devised. However, tliisis a matter for s-ubsequent 
consideration. — Ibid, April 6. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Cardamoms.— In the Ash of Cardamom Messrs 
Cowley and Catford have discovered cobalt, nickel, 
manganese, and iron, and they attribute the black 
ash to tlie formation of phosphite. — Chemist and 
Druggist, March 23. 
Compp;tition in Quinine Pill.?.— The Soura- 
baya Courant states that the united German 
(luinine factories ))ropose shortly to commence the 
sale of quinine pills in all the principal towns in 
.Java, at prices based upon these paid for Bandong 
quinine at the Batavia auctions. This would 
doubtless result in a loss to the (ierman works ; 
but it is thought that it will have the eflect of 
forcing the Bandong factory to discontinue the 
manufacture ^.nd sale of quinine pills, from which 
they derive a considerable income. The Java 
paper mentions this as a danger threatening not 
only the Bandong factory but also indirectly the 
cinchona-planters, and it exhorts 'the latter to 
persevere in the co-operation which has led to 
the present favourable state of the local quinine 
industry. — Chemist and Druggist, March 30. 
Java Government Cinchona.— The report on 
the Government cinchona plantations in Java for the 
quarter ending December .31, 19U0, states tliat the 
young plants are in excellent condition, and are 
developing strongly. This is due not only to the 
favourable weather duiingthe period under review, 
but also to the fact that only healthy and large 
plants have been used for planting out. The 
plantations are free from disease and insect-pests, 
with the exception of those in the western part of 
Tirtasari, which are somewhat seriously atl'ected. 
Contrary to recent experience, there has been a 
great lack of labourers, a fact which is also felt 
in piivate tea and cinchona plantations. By the 
end of December practically the whole output 
had been shipped, partly to Tandjong Priok (for 
export and partly to Bandong quinine factory. 
The whole yield of bark in 1900 came to 
about 560 tons ; of this quantity 378 tons were 
exported to Holland, and 1S2 tons worked up at 
Bandong, At the auction of cinchona-seed some 
specimens fetched as much as 461. per packet of 
25 grammes : shoots for grafting were sold at 16*, 
Sd- esich.— Chemist and Dj'uggist, Ma.Tch 30. 
