SEfT. 1, 1902.1 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
20.5 
THE TEA INDUSTRY IN CEYLON AND 
THE SUPPLY OF FUEL : 
A SERIOUS PROBLEiVI OF THE NEAR 
FUTURE SOLVED BY THE SUCCESS 
OP FUEL OIL. 
In not a few districts in Uej'lon tliere is no 
more serious question facing the planter than 
his future snpiily of fuel. Scarcity and higli 
prices have already made tlieinselves felt severely 
in not a few cases, and practical men have been 
shaking their heads over the prospect, more 
especially wliere fuel for " power " — for the steain 
engine furnace— has to be provided ns well as 
for the tea dryers. We are aware that in one 
or two instances, at rare intervals, oil for steam 
engine fuel has been used on plantations, just 
as it is at the electric works iu Kandy and in 
most of the Railway workshops upcountry. But 
it was a much more delicate matter to experiment, 
and decide, on the fitness of the fuel oil tor 
tea-drying purposes. The " Shell Company " and 
their local Agents, Messrs, Delmege, Forsyth & Co. 
(wiio liave long been considering the question from 
a business point of view) deserve credit for going 
to work after a very practical fashiem to secuie 
the necessary solution. An Engineer of the 
Company— an expert in all that; concerns the 
use of oil fuel — has for some time been making a 
series of experiments at the Galaha Factory along 
with the capable Manager, Mr. W. M. Hall, 
and we are now inforn)ed that these have been 
crowned with success, as may be judged from 
the following statement which has been placed 
at our disposal : — 
FUEL OIL FOR TEA DRYERS, 
It is a well-known fact that in certain districts, 
Ceylon Tea Grovi^ers have almost exhausted their 
eupply of firewood, and in the near future will 
find it a difficult matter to keep their dryers run- 
ning on account of an insufficient and inferior 
supply, with eventually a total lack of firewood. 
Comparatively few are, however, aware that 
liquid fuel can be used in lieu of firewood, and it is 
said even at less cost, and Tea Planters will 
certainly be glad to learn that extensive experi- 
ments in the burning of fuel oil in Jackson's Tea 
Dryers have been carried on at tlie Galaha 
Factory during the last two months witli very 
gratifying results. The steam jet system is that 
used ; while absolutely no alteration is requireil 
in the furnace. The burner is placed on the front 
of the furnace on trunnions, and can be swung 
out of position at a moment's notice when the fur- 
nace is again ready for solid fuel. The oil tank 
can be placed at any convenient place in or near 
the Factory. One man only is required to work 
the whole arrangement. After testing several 
burners, that of " Rusden and Eeles No. 00 " has 
proved to be the most economical and suitable for 
this class of work. Tlie fuel used was Borneo oil 
supplied by the "Shell" Transpirt and Trading 
Co., and the amount of fuel consumed on an aver- 
age of a long series of tests was rather less than six 
gallons per hour, .actual tea drying being carried 
on during the whole/if the experiments. The 
manager of the Galaha Factory, W. M. Hall, Esq., 
win be pleased to show the burning of the fuel 
oil at the Factory to any interested in it, it due 
potice is giveu. In a,aticipatioa of a gre.it 4€tuau4 
r9 
for fuel oil, Messrs. fJelniege, Forsyth & C\, the 
Agents, are erecting storage tanks at several of 
the centres. 
As to the cost, Mr. Hall estimates that with 
firewood costing 112 per cubic yard, his tea-drying 
costs "75 cents per lb., and he feels sure that witli 
the fuel oil he can do the work as, if not more, 
cheaply. This is extremely satisfactory, because 
the delivery of the fuel- can be made more 
economically to estates c'ose to a railway station, 
say for instance at Hatton, Kotaga'a and Tala- 
wnkele— three centres where we believe fuel to be 
scarce— than at Galaha with the many miles of 
cartage invoLed. Tanks are at once to be 
erected at convenient centres and portable iron 
cases are to be substituted, for wooden casks so 
apt to leak, for the transport by rail, with a 
suitable package to carry on coolies' heads where 
there are no eait roads available, .\nother great 
advantage of the new sy.stem is the equality of 
temperature for drying that can be maintained ; 
whereas with firewood as the teamakers know, 
this is a veiy difficult matter. Altogether, then, 
it must be confessed we are here face to face with 
a very notable improvement and advance in Con- 
nection with tea factories, and we may well 
prophesy that no long period will elapse, before the 
use of fuel-oil for tea-dryers will become almost 
universal in the hill-country of Ceylon ; while, in 
many cases, it will also be used tor the furnaces 
of jdantation steam engines. It must be re« 
niembered that the Galaha experiments only ap[ily 
to Jackson's dryers ; and in this connection it 
may be noted that Mr. Jackson himself has invented 
an air-injector for oil-fuel, which is necessary 
where there is no sleam used. But we have no 
doubt that the makers of other dryers— of the 
Siroccos and Brown's Desiccators — will be keenly 
alive to the appl-cation of the new fuel to their 
inventions. Planters, after satisfying themselves 
of the wisdom of the change, must, of course, apply 
to their engineering advisers to get the needful 
adaptations made, whatever be their style of dryer, 
and a start in this direction need not be delayed 
fiom any tear that the fuel-oil required, will non 
be available, as there is always an ample stock 
for all requi ements in Colombo. 
^ 
ME. HART AND THE TRINIDAD ROYAL 
BOTANIC GARDENS : 
NEW KINDS OF RUBBER; GRAFTING 
CACAO. 
As usual, Mr. Hart's Anoual Report (front 
April, 19U1, to 31st March, 1902) is both full 
and very interesting. AVe have marked all 
that is of most value to planters and horti- 
culturists in full, and nieantinle would say 
that an experiment in Bee-keeping (Italian 
Queens being introduced) is likely to prove 
very successful and generally useful. We 
cannut understand why an attempt at be?:- 
keeping is not made in the Henaratgoda 
Gardens : there are two Ceylon honey-uiaking 
bees worthy of attention. We dare say 
Gangaroowa will first show an experiment. 
Mr. Hart has a good deal to say about 
Rubber. His Castilloas are seeding freely, 
and the seed is good, but it has "'a very 
fugitive vitality, and even with the best 
packiug it is very ditlicult to send it long 
