THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
295 
OCTOBKR I, 1890.] 
clepartmcaf; where oil gas is raanufactiirecl for lighting 
trains. At these gas works one of the products is a 
tar which it is difficult to dispose of at any price, but 
this is now burnt under the boiler, which was fitted 
with the liquid fuel apparatus early in 1886. The 
boiler is a small one of the Ooriiish multitubular type, 
10 ft long by 4ft. in diameter, with a furnace 7 ft. 
long . by 3 ft. in diameter, from which 122 iron 
tubes 1| in. in diameter by 3 ft. long extend to the 
back of Dhe boiler. The boiler is worked at 601b. 
pressure, and when coal was used the consumption per 
week (79 hours in steam) averaged 68 cwt. 1 qr. 16 lb. 
or 97.1 lb. per hour. With the liquid fuel apparatus 
th e consumption per week, with 69 hours in steam 
has averaged!454ij gallons of tar and 2 cwt. of coal, 
or an average per hour of 65.9 lb. of tar and 3,31b 
of coal.” 
The question is whether the tar referred to, as 
“ difficult to dispose of at any price,” could not 
be imported and used here more economically than 
petroleum, or coal, or coke ? In the case of a print- 
ing offioo boiler 
A comparison of the oost of working with coal only 
in 1887, and with coal and liquid fuel during the 
present year [ISSSl (the comparison being made for a 
week in each case), gives the following result; 
Coal only Used. 
1887. (Jonsumption during one week from August 
15th to 20lh (inclusive), 74| hours’ work, including 
lighting up=80Jowt.=121'3 lb. per hour. 
Cost for 100 hour8=12,130 lb. of coal at lls per ton 
-21. 19b 7id. 
Coal, OoJee, and Tar — " Holden's System." 
1888. Oonsumptiou during one week from June 
25th to 30th (inclusive), 87| hoars’ working including 
lighting up 
=coal 15 owt.=19'2 lb. per hour 
=ooke 114 ,, =14'7 ,, ,, 
Gas tar 280 galls. —35 1 ,, ,, 
Total .. 69-0 „ 
Cost for 100 hours - 
9 . 
d. 
-1920 lb. 
of coal at 
lls 
Od 
par ton= 9 
54 
-=1470 „ 
,, coke ,, 
9s 
6d 
„ = {J 
=3510 „ 
)) tac )) 
12s 
6d 
,, - 19 
7i 
Total 
, , 
. . . .£1 15 
2 
Again : — 
Various kinds of liquid fuel have been used, and the 
apparatus appears capable of dealing with any of the 
ordinary marketable qualities. On ihe occasion of our 
making a trip on the engine there was being burnt a 
mixture of one-third “ green ” oil with two-thirds tar, 
and this was burnt entirely without smoke or trouble 
of auy kind. Roughly speaking the consumption of 
fuel on the engine above referred to is one gallon (or 
11 lb.) of liquid fuel (a mixture of two-thirds ordinary 
gas tar and one-third creosote or furnace oil) to about 
14 lb. of coal per mile. 
Engineeriruj, in summing up, states : — 
“ It will belseen from the facts we have stated above, 
that Mr. Holden’s system of using liquid fuel is one 
of very great promise, and it appears to us of especial 
value for use iu cases where it is of importance to be 
able to at once revert to burning coa’ alone, as may 
oocur in consequence of fluctuations in the market price 
of oil or othercircumstances.” 
Whether the Priestmau engine is adopted or not, 
our readers will see that great benefits can be derived 
from a mixture of liquid with solid fuel in furnaces. 
As might have been anticipated, Messrs. Marshall 
of Gainsborough, so well known as the manufac- 
turers of tea machiuery, have not failed to lay 
themselves out to meet the demand for appliances 
wherewith to burn petroleum as engine fuel. In 
papers with which we have been furnished we find 
the following notice ; — 
” Petroleum as fuel iu locomotive and Vertical .steam 
boilers. In many parts of Ceylon, India, &o., where 
coal and wood are source or costly, wo b-jg to draw 
the attention of Planters and others to Petroleum and 
other mineral oils for use as fuel in the Boilers of our 
Steam Engines. We can supply the necessary Ap- 
paratus and Fittings, which cun readily be attached to 
our Locomotive and Vertical Boilers, for using this 
class of fuel, ‘and they can quickly be removed and the 
Furnace used for burning wood or coal if required. 
Tbe apparatus is simple and efficient, and we shall 
bo happy to furnish full particulars and prices on 
application.” 
In reply to a Firm who had written to them on the 
subjeot, it was stated : — 
“ In reply to the last paragraph of your letter re 
Petroleum burning- we have supplied an arrangement 
for this purpose to a number of Locomotive Boilers 
from time to time, and we see no difficulty in its ap- 
pl'.catiou to Boilers of the Vertical type also. We give 
you at foot, prices of the necessary plant in connection 
with existing Boilers. 
‘‘This would consist of a tank to hold the oil-coil to heat 
thesame from the exhaust steam — the necessary injector 
and pipe — and also the firebrick material for the inside 
of the firebox. The refractory material for the grate we 
do not s’dpply, as of course anything of an imperishable 
nature would suffice for this, road material or any kind 
of clinker that is available would do very well for this 
purpose. 
“With regird to the quantity of oil consumed so much 
depends upon the kind of oil used, but we may explain 
that in our experiments at the works we used about 3 
pounds (3 pounds) of oil par indicated horse-power pet 
hour, that is about one-third of a gallon. 
“ From the above explanation your Managers will 
readily be able to ascertain the quantity used per day, 
as each will have an idea what indicated power his 
engine is giving off, and will then readily be able to 
calculate from the above what quantity of oil it would 
consume. Our experiments here were conducted with 
what is called “ Rsfuse Oil” but if the oil is of better 
quality the consumption would be less. 
‘‘Oust of Petroleum Burning apparatus to existing 
Boilers including oil tank and coil, injector and 
piping, firebrick lining for firebox. 
6 H-p. £20 10H-p.£24 
8 H-p. £22 12 H-p. £26. Subject to usual terms.” 
Our readers will thus see that they can, if destitute 
of an engine and requiring one, obtain a Priestman 
engine for the consumption of oil alone ; or engines 
in use can be supplied with the needful apparatus 
for the consumption of petroleum ; or finally they 
can get increase , 1 heat with increased economy by 
using as fuel a mixture of liquid and solid substances 
having calorific properties. The curious point in 
the whole matter is that even Messrs. Marshall, who 
ought to know much about the delicate character 
of tea and its absorbing qualities, express no appre- 
hension and suggest no caution as to prevention 
of petroleum odour coming in contact with the tea 
in tbe store. We suppose the danger has been 
calculated and thoroughly provided against. 
♦ 
PLANTING IN AYYNAAD. 
Aug. 27tb. 
After two months, during which hardly a single 
day pa.saed wiihout a considerable rainfall, we are now 
enjoying a delightful break in the weather. This was 
very greatly needed, as the constant damp not only 
checked growth, but it did an infinity of mischief to the 
coffee by rotting the leaves and, worse still, the berries. 
This is really a case of adding insult to injury, for 
surely our crops need no diminishing and it is cruel 
work to see tbe very little we have falling from the 
trees. I am sorry to have but a bad report to give you 
auent leaf disease and borer, both of which are simply 
ravaging the estate,? all round. The appearance of 
some of our finest properties is shocking, and so severe an 
outbreak of both these terrible epidemics, must seriously 
alfoot the trees. Possibly under such oircumstauoes, 
the fact of little or no crop may be au advantage, as 
the coffee has one less drain on its enfeebled oonstitu- 
