Attg. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTtJRISi. 
lOS 
will be thoroughly prepared automatically and 
brown leaf showing semi-fermentation never dis- 
figures tlie ouM urn of a Druninioud Deans tea, as 
too otten proves the c-i,se with leaf prepared on the 
old Indian system. I do not say thdt semi-fer- 
mented leaf must occur in the old style (Jrcen 
Teas, but that it requires great care and constant 
supervision with our inefficient coolie labour to 
prevent the operation of preparing the leaf on the 
old system being carelessly performed, and then a 
certain uroportion of the green leaf will escape 
proper contact with the hot pans on which the 
leaf is prepared on the old system, and these are 
bound to ferment later and spoil the true 
character of the tea. It is not possible to detect 
any lapse of this sort on the part of the coolie 
until the tea is made, when the mischief is done. 
It is possible, of coarse, to ensure that the pro- 
cess shall be thoroughly carried out, but this, as 
every planter and tea-maker knows, means extra 
supervision and consequent throwing up of cost 
of production, which, with prices now to be ob- 
taineil for tea of any description, is not to be 
incurred if it can be avoided. On the other hand, 
with the Druramond Deane machine every leaf 
is equally treated ; it is only necessary to open 
the valves and set the machinery in motion by 
means of the change wheel and driving belt and 
the machine automatically does what is required, 
discharging the leaf thoroughly ready at the end 
of a minute or two. One man can treat up to 
three maunds at a time on the limit of sizes that 
have been found most convenient. It is the old 
story of machine versus hand labour, and it does 
noS take a prophet to tell which must go to the 
wall. In the rest cf the processes in theDium- 
mond Deane system the ordinary black tea 
machinery is utilised, though of course the pro- 
cesses are greatly modified, and in these modifi- 
cations the skill of the inventor, Mr Drummond 
Deane, has been shown. It would be futile to 
attempt to make Green Tea on the ordinary black 
tea machinery without the instructions of the 
inventor, as a good many have found out to their 
loss, and naturally these special instructions are 
guari^ed and only issued to those purchasing the 
machines. The whole process also compares with 
great advantage with the old system in point of 
time, and it is very true in tea as in other 
things that time is money. In some three to 
four hours the green leaf should be turned into 
finished Green Tea, uncoloured. The colouring or 
finishing process is just as applicable to these new 
style teas as to the old style, and if Mr Leslie 
Rogers were here I could show him samples which 
he would be fain to admit compare ■ne.W with 
anything he has seen on the old system. With 
regard to the question of time taken in manu- 
facture, a notable advance has recently been 
made by the new Deane Judge machine, which 
we are now about to introduce. This new machine 
performs a supplementary process which much 
improves the condition of the leaf and very 
materially shortens the time taUen in manufacture, 
bei^ide making the procpss entirely auiocnacic. 
With regard to the finished product, it is just as 
feasible with suitable processes to colour and finish 
Drummond Deane Green Teas to any vquired 
appparance, and the only dih'erence they present 
to the old style Green Teas when so tre^ited i: in 
the absolute purity of their cup and the uniform 
green colour of their infused leaf, points in which 
old style Green Teas are apt to be fauUy, un- 
less a very thorough and consequently expensive 
supervisiou has been given. But it is a moot iiDint 
whether the colouring process is necessiuy to the 
advance of these Green Teas ; the Japanese are 
more and more dispensing with the operation which 
adds nothing to the quality of the tea, and only 
satisfies a prejudice in point of appearance. 
Compare the b'^ginning of the Ceylon Green Tea 
industry ; it began about four years ago with 
a few thousand poumls ; in the third year 
it reached nearly two million pounds ; 
not much, it is trae, in the eyes of those 
who want to ru.-ih everything and failing 
immediate success abandon the attempt, but suffi- 
cient to show that we are driving ahead in the- 
same way as we did in the early days of black tea. 
The great point is that the moiion has all beea in 
a forward direction. 
With regard to the Afghan market, the North- 
West planters cannot pretend to make a preserve 
of it. If their old style Green Tea is so much 
better, they are so favourably placed that the 
Bengal planters should not be able to compete with 
them. It >vas the special appr?ciation of the 
Manabarie teas made on the Drummond Deane 
system that drew the attention of the Bengal and 
Sarma Valley planters to this Trans-Frontinr 
market and the Association had nothing to do 
with it. Mr Rogers may be right as to the ne.-es- 
ity of colouring the teas to the appeai aucc- with 
which the Afghans are familiar, for tlie Envoy 
judged them on the merits of their cup in whicd 
the Drumm:>nd Deane teas stand pre eminent. Bub 
that circumstance will not prevent these teas 
making w'ay. We are prepared if necessary to 
colour them to any shade that the Afghans may 
prefer, even to painting them all the colours of the 
rainbow, like Joseph's coat or a German Jubilee 
design, 
Thf Agent, 
Drummond Deane Green Tea 
Process and Machinery. 
Calcutta, 16th June, 1902. 
THE TEA MARKETS EXPANSION 
COMMISSION. 
Messrs Andrew Ynle aud Co, the Commisgioners 
appoiutecl by the Advisory Committee of the Indian 
Tea Association to extend and expand tea markets 
in India, hive issued their seventh Report. We 
learn from it that the support accorded them baa 
been steady and progress satisfactory during the three 
months in qaeation, viz., March, April aud May. 
The Commission, it will be remembered, came into 
being about the middle of last year, helped with 
a grant-in-aid of R10,000 from the Indian Tea 
Association and contributions of tea from planters up 
to 700,000 lb. The work has been continued on the 
lines that we have noticed before in tliese 
columns, and the reports received of its procrresa 
in all directions are encouraging. Of the 372,879 lb 
of tea, that up to ths Slat ultimo had 
been contributed or purchased, 273 574 lb have 
been disposed cf. The demand for the v' '-e ;Muk..,t3 
continues satisfaocory, a.-- le^s than b94,7-J4 having 
b?en sold. The pri^^e of iliem is the same all over 
lui'.i*. viz., OQp picc eacn. The total number of cups 
rf brewed te?v, which also are sold at one pice each, 
h'S risen to -^19,244. Pice packets ars now to be 
procured at 69.5 estr.i-departmental po3t-oifi''e3 aa 
against 70 on the 2Sth of February last, liud applici- 
tiona for agencies are still coming in. Brewed and 
dry tea is now on sale to native passengers at 13 
