September i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRIOULTURIST. 
19s 
top tray in the drying-box, to anything like this 
degree of heat, if the fan is -working, “ Darjeelingite” 
must be working his drier with his fan stopped or 
more likely with the valve behind it shut, which of 
course would have the same effect* 
With a temperature on the thermometer of 385 
deg. and say 8 or 9 lb. roll charges on each tray 
the' exhaust air would indicate about the 210 deg., 
which is the same temperature as that which strikes 
the bottom tray. , .i. . 
This reduction m temperature of the air after pass- 
ing through a number of trays of wet roll is essential 
in any drying machine whatever, as unless the hot 
air gives some of its heat up in passing it could not 
absorb any moisture from the roll whatever. 
If “ Darjeelingite ” holds a thermometer over the 
exhaust of an-y tea drier, he will find that the 
temperature has been considerably reduced from 
that indicated on the drier thermometer ; or even if 
be places a thermometer over and under the trays 
of his charcoal chulas he will obtain similar results. 
In order to work Davidson’s Large Down-draft pro- 
perly, the following points should be attended to : — 
First.— See that the fan is running at 800 to 900 
revolutions per minute at least 1,000 rev. gives very 
good results and the difference required in power 
to drive at the increased speed is imperceptible. 
Second . — The fuel used should be split up small 
and cut into 1'— 6" to 2' lengths. Large round 
logs make very expensive fuel, as they do not burn 
well, therefore generate heat slowly. The drier the 
fuel is, the better. 
Third . — The stoking should be properly attended 
to. A eooly has a natural inclination to cram the 
furnace full of fuel so that he may have no further 
trouble with it for half an hour or so. The stoker 
should stoke lightly and constantly, putting small 
pieces of wood in at a time and keeping « good light, 
even hlctzing fire, of a black, on the top, and 
a glowing red fire in the heart of his furnace. 
Fowt/i,— Immediately after the fire is lighted, the 
fan should be started and the lever handle working 
the tray-lift and the fan valve should be lighted, 
thus partially closing the valve and therefore 
deducting from the suction power of the fan and 
enabling the temperature to rise quickly. This 
handle should be lifted to within an inch or so 
from the top of the slot in which it works. 
Fifth . — The charge per tray must not be too heavy 
6, 7, or 8 lb. according to the amount of mois- 
ture contained in the roll would be about right. 
The wetter it is, the lighter it -should be spread on 
the trays. 
If the trays are drying too quickly for the coolies to 
keep up with the work, on no account decrease the 
fan speed. 
To reduce the rate of drying a tray, increase the 
charge of roll per tray. 
The trays i hould be spread as evenly as possible. 
Coolies have a tendency to spread thickly in 
the centre ; in that case the sides would dry 
first as is the case in any drier. If this is attended 
to, I find the trays are dried perfectly evenly all over. 
After work is finished, the fan should be allowed 
to work on for 15 or 20 minutes in order to carry 
away the heat which the stove would still be 
producing. When the tan is shut off, the door over 
the stove should be opened. If these points are 
attended to, “ Darjeelingite” will have no further 
trouble in the working of his machine, but will 
be bound to confess, as numbers have done and 
are doing every day, that the Down-draft Sirocco 
is a complete success, especially the new large 
size, not only in quantity of outturn, but also in the 
quality of same. 
The outturn of these machines vary from 140 lb. 
to 2001b. per hour tea made, with a fuel consumption 
of about ^ lb, per lb. tea. 
The quantity of out-turn depending on the fan 
speed, the moisture of the roll and the moisture in 
the fuel. 
Hoping that these remarks may be of use to 
“ Darjeelingite ” and to any others who may have 
takenan interest in his letter. — I remain, yours truly, 
F. G. MACGUIRE, 
o/o Messrs. Maokwood & Oo., Colombo. 
PLANTING IN TRAVANGORE: PROSPEOTg 
FOR SUPERINTENDENTS. 
July 21st. 
Sir,— H aving had a few inquiries and heard of 
others having been made by Ceylon men as to the 
advisability of seeking or accepting employment in 
the planting districts of Travancore, I would be 
glad if you would kindly give publicity to the 
following. To such enquiries I would most em- 
phatically say “ Don’t,” and for these reasons 
Individual salaries are small. 
Superintendents’ prospects, with few exceptions, 
are not encouraging. 
Vacancies are, as a rule, filled by persons having 
interest. 
There can be no doubt tha- Travancore, as a 
tea-producing country, has fair prospects indeed 
before her ; but for a man of fair abilities and 
prospects to leave Ceylon and come to Travancore 
without having his position, salary and future more 
or less guaranteed would be madness indeed ; while 
again some districts are so unhealthy that a 
superintendent may never hope to develop the 
resources of his charge and so gain credit to himself, 
that with a fair amount of guarantee he would be 
badly off ; and in the event of his wishing to 
reinstate himself in his old position in Ceylon might 
find some difficulty after a sojourn of a year or 
two on this side, to say nothing of time lost. — 
Yours faithfully, TRAVANCORIENSIS, 
PEPPER AND JAK CULTIVATION. 
July 23rd. 
Dear Sir, — I am glad to find from “ Pepper- 
corn’s ” letter of 18th instant, that the sickness 
amongst jak trees is more local than general. But 
I think most planters will admit that there has 
been, if not serious illness, at least a want of tone 
in their systems for some years, and this has been 
shown as much by their poor foliage as by the 
irregular yield of fruit. I do not refer to tree 
growing in gardens or specially favoured places, 
but to those planted on estates. But the debility 
is not confined to the jak trees. Leaving out of 
consideration the coconut disease, which Dr. Trimen 
has disposed of, there has been a marked decline 
in the vigour of areca trees, pepper, vanilla, annatto, 
cardamoms, cotton and even of the worthless Ceara 
rubber. None of these planted during the last four 
years have grown as freely as they used to; and as 
regards the last, whereas its seedlings used to 
germinate in hundreds under the trees, for some years 
past the self-sown seedlings have not been seen. 
Is it not possible that a severe attack of cock- 
chafer grubs has been followed by a root fungus 
which has impaired the vitality of all vegetation ? 
The effects, of course, would vary according to 
soil and other surroundings, and would be modified 
as “ Peppercorn ” suggests by high oultivntion. — 
Yours faithfully, SIC PASSIM. 
