THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
August i, i8go.] 
material they are to furnish. All work of the sort 
contemplated requires the employment of great 
power. This could doubtless be obtained very 
eoonomioally by the use of the almost unlimited 
water power which can certainly be obtained in 
the neighbourhood of Nawalapitiya, and possibly 
also near to Galle. Mr. Stanley assured our 
correspondent that, given favourable results to the 
two experiments now proceeding, all arrangements 
were well forward to start the industry in this island, 
and we therefore look forward with very great 
interest to receiving the subsequent report which 
will doubtless soon be forwarded to us. It appears 
that the present cost of carriage of each box from 
London to Ceylon is sixpence, and therefore on 
this item alone a very considerable saving will be 
efected if the chests can be locally produced. But 
it is confidently anticipated, that beside that eco- 
nomy, a further one of very considerable amount will 
attend the local production of the strawboard 
This has hitherto been obtained from Holland, but 
experts consider it to be of imperfect manufacture, 
and it is besides relatively too expensive. The change 
contemplated will therefore, if carried out, probably 
render it possible for the chests to be supplied at a 
cost considerably below that of the wooden boxes 
at present used. 
We have referred above to what is termed the 
imperfect manufacture of the strawboard at present 
used. We are told that in order to obtain the 
required stoutness — i.e- thickness — of board several 
layers of the straw paper have to be pasted 
together. It is presumed that the siliceous character 
of the straw used opposes itself to the production 
of thick material. This ditliculty, it is said, will 
not present itself in the case of manufacture from 
mana grass, and that, given sufficient power, it 
will be possible to make from it board of almost 
any required thickness. Although as yet the pros- 
pect of this new industry being established among 
us is still subject toconditions winch may possibly not 
be fulfilled, there certainly appears to be very strong 
ground for hoping that before very long we may be 
able to welcome its advent. 
It w'ill certainly be a remarkable change, if the 
tall, course, lemon-scented grass which covers 
so large a portion of our upland prairies, instead 
of being burnt periodically to obtain cattle feed in 
the shape of the young tender shoots, should be 
oared for, cultivated and utilized for an interesting 
and profitable manufacture. 
HOME GEITICS ON CEYLON TEA: 
OVERFIRING AND FERMENTATION. TEA 
CHESTS. 
Having asked Mr. F. F. Street’s opinion on 
this subject he is good enough to write as follows : — 
“ In regard to the firing of tea, of course you allude 
to Messrs. I. A. Rucker & Beneraft’s recent cir- 
cular on this subject. I can only say that I 
entirely agree with their remarks as far as the 
fermentation and firing of Ceylon teas is concerned. 
My estate reports during the past live years would 
give you ample evidence that what they assert is 
perfectly true, and they confirm what I have 
repeatedly written on the subject during that 
period. During the past six months alone I may 
mention that I have reported on som'dliing like 
l,2h0 estate samples, so that T have liad ample 
opportunities of judging. This does not, of course, 
include teas that have come under my notice in 
other ways, ami as a huyer and seller of tea on 
this market, I am perfectly convinced in my own 
mind that insuHioient fermentation and overfiring 
in a great measure, if not entirely, account for 
the non-keeping properties of Ceylon teas — of 
which we have heard so many complaints. I am 
however glad to say that the number of cases 
of overfired teas coming under my notice in the 
way of business are much less numerous than 
they were — this is largely due to the firing now 
being done at a lower temperature than formerly, 
especially the final-firing — which in most cases 
is where the damage is clone. It appears to me 
that tea is exactly on a par with any other article 
of food that requires roasting before it is fit for 
consumption : it may and often is cooked to such 
a point of dryness that the sap or juices are more 
or less burnt out of it, leaving a dry juiceless 
article, deprived of all its quality and goodness. It is 
a noteworthy fact that under or short fired teas are 
invariably full and generally pure In the cup, 
while overfired teas are always more or less im- 
pure, thin or comparatively so ; clearly proving 
that the additional tiring has dissipated some of 
the juices of the leaf that would have remained 
in the leaf with slower aud lower firing. 
“ Tea Chestn.—l have not the smallest doubt 
that the ‘ cheesy’ flavour complained of from home, 
originated from the use of some unseasoned 
and unsuitable Ceylon wood. Some two or three 
years ago I had some shelves put up in my 
office made of a cheap Ceylon unseasoned wood, 
the smell was perfectly offensive (I can only liken 
it to ‘ rotten gams’), and made it most un- 
pleasant to sit in the same room. 
“ Japanese ‘ Momi’ are undoubtedly the best 
packages we have, being free from smell, light of 
weight and for make and finish rarely equalled 
in Coylon-made packages.” 
Wo can understand underfermenting leading 
to absorption of moisture, but how over-firing 
can lead to such a result, we find it difficult to 
conceive. 
MAURITIUS IIE-MP MACHINES. 
(From the Kew Bnlletin.) 
The subject of Mauritiu.s hemp has been discussed al- 
ready in the Kew BiAlletin (March 1887, p. 8). Sirce 
that time considerable interest has been taken in India 
and the Colonies in the production of fibre,s suitable for 
rope aud twine making, for which of late years there 
has been a considerable demand. In connexion with 
this interest numerous inquiries have been addressed to 
Kew respecting the best machines for cleaning the 
leaves and stems of plants yielding such fibres. The 
plants in most cases have been various species of Ac/ave. 
Furcraa, Sansevieria, Karatas, Bromelia, and other" 
monocotyledonous plants whose fibre bundles yield the 
particular kind of fibre in demand. 
It is well known that certain fibre machines, more or 
less effective, are ip u.=e in Yucatan in the production 
of Sisal hemp, yielded by one or more varieties of 
Agave rujida. It is very probable that some of these 
machines could be sncce.ssfnlly introduced into other 
countries where Agave plniits are grown for fibre [ire 
Kew Bulletin, March 1887, pp. .8 8 ; March 18.8!) no. 
.')7-(>l; aud October 1889, p. 2.54]. 
In the case of Mauritius hemp we loam that the 
fihra machines, locally known as graltes or scrapers, 
which have boon generally in use ni that islana for 
many years, are mamifactureil in the f'olony. These 
aro exclusively engaged in extracting fibre from the 
leaves by the AhnBvcrl orfmtid A\oe {Furci-(Pa gigantea)^ 
The le.avcs of thi.s plant are very similar in -ize at d 
character to those <.f Agave yi'gida var. Simlana re- 
ceived lately at Kew from the Bahamas. There is little 
doubt that tiie gvaltes or fibre nuictunes as now used in 
Mauritius, or with soma slight modilieations, could 
also he used in the treatment of Agave loave.s. In any 
case it was very desirable to obtain exact particulars of 
