334 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Nov. 1, 10O2. 
There are signs that business with America 
this season will be larger than hitherto and may 
reach considerable dimensions if suitable teas be 
made in sufficient quantity to convince American 
traders that we can produce "Green tea" with 
the flavour of Moyune and "U ncoloured tea"— or 
"Unfinished tea" as some in Canada name it — 
equal in delicacy to the best from Japan. Botli 
descriptions should be made. Our friends Messrs 
J & J R Montgomery & Co., of New York, inform 
us that they estimate the importation in North 
America this season will be as follows :— 
1902-3. 1901-2. 1900-1. 
Frptn China 
aud Formosa 51 mils. lb. agt. 40 mils. Iba 54 mils lb. 
■ „ Japau 38 ,. „ 36 „ „ 38 „ 
Total .. 89 76 92 
This is so far encouraging, and we notice that 
the London stock of Ceylon tea on 1st 
September was considerably less than at 
thesame date last year ; but unfortunately 
Indian tea was 3^ million lb. in excess and 
China tea 4f million lb. above the stock of 
September, 1901. Finally from a Statistical 
sheet issued by Messrs. Bwart, Maccaughey 
&Co., Ltd., we quote the following, qtiantum 
valcat :— 
CROPS OF THE WORLD. 
1901-2. 1900- 1. 
Millions. Millions 
Indian ... ITSJ .. 167^ 
Ceylon ... 143 ... 149 
Ohina and Japan 
(Exports from) 154J (Exports from) 184J 
Java ... 18| ... 17i 
491J 538i 
MESSRS. BROWN AND DAVIDSON'S 
TALAWAKELE WORKS. 
EXPERIMENT WITH LIQUID FUEL. 
So much has been recently written about the 
attempts made to utilise liquid fuel in oil 
engines as a motive power that having heard of 
aa experiment at the well-known works of Messrs. 
Brown and Davidson, Talawakele we sent our 
Upcountry representative there to witness and 
report on the success of that firm's latest venture. 
Our representative was cordially received and 
sbowii the engine experimented with, which was 
a Priestman Hull oil engine, selected because it 
was not of date and had not been worked for 
several years. After Messrs. Brown and David.son's 
chief engineer had removed all the complicated 
gear, he substituted a simple valve gear. The 
engine was put through successful tests. The 
engine is of small construction, but nevertheless 
it started readily and easily, and developed a 
little over 4 horse-power pressure on a continued 
brake test. Our representative was informed by 
Messrs. Brown and Davidson that far from being 
prohibitive the alteration necessary, on this old 
and obselete type of engine— was effectel at a 
low cost. But the firm while they are prepared 
to alter any engine at use at present to work 
by liquid fuel — they, at the same time, do not 
advocate it, as the result of what its motive 
power would be after two or three years of con- 
tinued work has to be tried and tested for some 
little time before they would exprega their opiniou 
as to its proving the success which is now antici- 
pated in very many quarters. Our representative 
was also taken toMiddletf>n estate, owned by Mr. 
A V Renton, where within a few hours yester- 
day (Monday) Messrs- Brown and Davidson 
changed an oil engine of the latest pattern which 
had hitherto been 
WOBKED BY PKTEOLEUM TO WORK WITH 
LIQUID FUEL. 
The engine was one ot their own " Cundall's " 
and of 25 brake power, and had been working 
quite smoothly with liquid fuel for some hours. 
There our representative met Mr. T MacLachlan 
who has something to do with the management 
of that estate, and was told by that gentle- 
man that it was his opinion that liquid 
fuel would supply a long-felt want upcountry 
where firewood was scarce, and had to he brought 
from distances by wire shoots which had to be 
erected for the purpose at much cost. Mr Me- 
Lachlan's view was that it would in time be 
largely used as it meant working factories at 
much less cost than before, as whatever may be 
the drawbacks of liquid fuel it really supplied a 
distinct advantage in cost of working and labour. 
Our representative, from another source learnt 
that engines worked with liquid fuel would want 
a deal of looking after and cleaning as the oil 
itself was dirty. The oil, it is said, is a refuse 
oil. and is distilled from the grcund in a crude 
state. It is in fact an oil from which petrol, 
kerosine and more volatile oils had been ex- 
trpcted, but what it is going to do for estates 
remains yet to be seen, and the venture of 
Messrs. Delme£»e Forsyth & Co. to 
ERECT A STORE AT TALAWAKELE TO .STORE IT, 
in view of their opinion, that it will be exten- 
sively u'led before long, and Mr A Hamilton 
Harding, the Honorary Secretary of the Dimbnia 
Planters' Association, expressing it as it been 
generally understood that its demand would iti 
the near future increase rather than decrease, 
speaks for itself. In Colombo we would add that 
the cost of petroleum now so largely used in 
factory engines upcountry is approximately 43 
cents, per gallon, while the liquid fuel is obtain- 
able at 12 cenJ^s. per gallon. Whether the prices 
will in time fluctuate remains to be seen, as the 
lesser demand for petroleum may bring its price 
down ; while the increased demand for liquid 
fuel should have a tendency to raise its price 
rather lower its present rate even though facilities 
for importing liquid fuel in bulk be arranged for, 
as has been suggested. 
THE FAUNA OF BRITISH INDIA. 
We have to acknowledge receipt from the pub- 
lishers of a copy of the latest volume of the 
above work, which includes the Fauna of Ceylon 
and Burma ; and is published under the authority 
of the Secretary of State for India in Council. 
Edited by W T Blanford. The present volume 
is on Rhynnhota.— Vol. I. (Heceroptera) by W L 
Distant, Tue publishers are in London : Taylor 
and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, 
Calcutta : Thaeker, Spink and Co. Bombay : 
Thacker and Co. .Limited. Berlin : B Friedlander 
and Sohn, 11, Carlstrasse, 1902. The whole series 
is a most valuable one and in the preface to the 
present volume Mr Blanford states : — 
Other volumes on Indian Invertebrata are in pre- 
paration, and twq are SO far advaaoecl that tneir 
