May 2, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
861 
To the Editor. 
MR. JOHN BROWN'S ASTOUNDING CLAIM 
BE COFFEE PULPERS DISPOSED OF. 
72, Bishopsgate Street, 
London, E, C. March 10th. 
Deab Sik, — In the report of the "Tea Roller 
Patent Case " in your overland edition of 
18th ultimo, page 169, Mr. John Brown ie re- 
ported BB saying : " In coffee maohinery I think 
I efieoted nearly all the improvements of any 
importance which were ever effected upon it.'' 
To make use of a common remark, such a 
Btatement is " rather a large order," and out of 
respect to the memory of my late uncle, Mr. John 
Walker, I beg to submit the following facts : — 
The Disc pulper, so well-known in all Eastern 
coffee countries, was invented and patented by 
Mr. Walker in 1860, and of that machine alone 
there has been made in Ceylon a larger number 
than all other coffee pulpers put together, 
made either in Ceylon or the United Kingdom 
— and it is still being made in Colombo Iron 
Works. 
About the years 1870-1871 the " half moon " 
oylinder cover was invented and patented by 
the late Mr. George Clarke (some time partner in 
the firm of John Walker &.Co.), an invention which 
saved the coffee planters tens of thousands of 
pounds sterling, as it practically did away with 
all "cutting" of the bean. 
Again the " Gearless " pu'per was designed by 
Mr. Walter Lament, who is still in your town and 
can speak for himself. Of the larger coffee 
machines the "Gearless" was in every respect the 
king of all. 
But all this is no doubt to you and many of 
your readers a familiar tale. Perhaps some friend 
of the late Mr. John Gordon may see your paper 
and say a word on his behalf. 
I assisted to make pulpers in Kandy for about 
fourteen years, and I never heard of any improve- 
ments by Mr. John Brown. I knew of a very few 
home made pulpers, one of which now and then 
found its way to Caylon, and we in Kandy were 
always well pleased when one of these machines 
was erected at the entrance to a now district, as it 
made a good advertisement, and no more of same 
make went into that district. From 1870 to 1880, 
being the ten years of the good old eoSee days, 
about eighteen pulpers large and small, reached 
Ceylon from outside perhaps those contained the 
improvements claimed by Mr. Brown. — I am, dear 
Bir, yours faithfully, FRANK WALKER. 
P.S.— On 4th October 1877 the Ceylon Observer 
contained a kindly notice of the old home of 
pulper making at Bogembra Mills. 
TEA IN LEAMINGTON: "ONE OF LIP- 
TON'S TEA ESTATES." 
Leamington, England, March 24th. 
Sir,— I have interestod myself while here in 
collecting a few parliculiirs as to the retail trade 
in ttfi, and by this post forward somo trade cir- 
oulnr.H, catalogues, iV'. I had some difBoulty in 
obtaining them as tho givers appeared to suspect 
something when I asked for them. 
Messrs. Burgis and Oolbourne have, as you 
will sor>, thrno stores in L nuninKton itself (a town 
of 27,000 inhabitants), but in addiiion to this they 
also supply mnny of tho retail shops in the small 
towns and largo villages in the vicinity. You will 
108 
probably be surprised to. see that while their highes 
price for Ceylon tea is Is lOd, that for China te 
is 23 6d I going up to 33 for the choicest impor 
of 1891. You will also probably be surprised to 
learn from a leaflet I enclose that Ceylon 
tea may sometimes be drunk alone, the 
inference, of course, being that it is better when 
blended with China rubbish. By the way what is 
cinchona tea ? (See page 9.) 
The next firm is Melia & Co., who claim to be 
the greatest retailers of tea in England. They 
have two shops here, and about 50 more in other 
large towns. I do not know whether they (as 
they assert) get tea direct from the grower. (See 
page 63.) I noticed an old packing ease marked 
Le Vail, n in one of their windows. 
But the most surprising and amuuing of all is 
one of Lipton's circulars with a view of one of 
his tea estates in Ceylon, You will observe that 
in the left foreground there is a dock with a 
sea going vessel in it. The tea grows right up to 
the quay, so that it is only a hop, skip and a 
jump from where the coolies are gathering tea 
leaves to the deck of the ship. There are no lesi 
than five tea houses on an area of about 25 aores, 
while a string of three elephants are carrying some- 
thing (presumably tea), to be loaded in the vessel 
aforesaid. But the artist, not satiefied with this, 
has placed a large Moorish mosque in the middle 
of (he tea. Oh ! Mi-. Lipton, 
You will also note that Mr. Lipton does not 
even profess to sell pure Ceylon tea. The teas 
he sells are all blends. 
As far as I have had opportunities of judging, 
Mazawattce tea h.-.s a very 'large sale. It is sold 
as being pure Ceylon tea, but, if so, is not of good 
quality. The retail price is 2s 4d per lb in lead 
packets. Yours faithfully, E. HOLLAND. 
— I omitted to mention that the picture with 
the dock, elephants, etc., is named "One of Lipton's 
Tea Estates." Can any of your readers identify 
it?-E. H. 
THE TEA ROLLER PATENT CASE : 
JACKSON VS. BROWN. 
79, Farringdon Road, London, E. 0. 
Sir,— I have seen a copy of your issue 'of Feb. 
18th, giving an account of this case, and wherein 
Blr. John Brown, the defendant, is reported to have 
denied having ever had any conversation with me. 
or that ho had ever spoken to me about Tea 
Machinery. 
This somewhat surprises me ; as I spent the 
afternoon of Wednesday, the 8th February 1888, 
in his company at Belgravia, in the Dimbula 
district, on which occasion were present,- Messrs. 
Maokie, Sinclair, and the late Mr. John McLeod, 
when we talked about Tea Machinery among 
other subjects. 
Thanking you in anticipation for kindly insert- 
ing this letter, I am, yours truly, 
JAMES B. DALGARNO. 
MR. P. D. G. CLiRK AND THE EXPEDI- 
TION TO PERU. 
R. B. Gardens, Peradeniya, March 24th. 
Sir, — With regard to the discussion now engaged 
in by your correspondent in your issue of 22nd 
instant, relative to the poetion held by me in the 
late expedition to Peru, I shall feel obliged by 
your publishing tho enclosed extract from a 
memorandum of instructions received by me from 
tho Peruvian Corporation, prior to my leaving 
England for Peru.— I am, yours faithfully, 
P. D, G. CLARK. 
