November i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
327 
THE STEEL HOPE MOTOR: A NEW 
DEPARTURE. 
We call special attention to the following account 
of the completion and success of the first steel 
rope motor or conductor of power, utilized in Ceylon. 
Mr. N, M. Adam, who has seen the Roseneath 
machinery at work, expressed the opinion to us 
that the principle is capable of being applied for 
steel ropes travelling very much longer distances 
than in this case. There is no reason indeed why 
steel ropes from a huge turbine, or series of turbines, 
below St. Clair, Devon or other falls should not be 
carried to Factories in half-a-dczen directions, 
for distances up to a mile or so? — We heartily 
re-echo the regret felt that the respected de- 
signer— that able and good man, Mr. John Walker, 
did not live to see the successful issue of his 
Roseneath proposal. 
(Communicated.) 
Ceylon is not generally behind other tea-gi'owing 
countries ; but it has been so in the matter of 
conveying power from a distance by means of a 
wire rope, and utilizing it for driving purposes. 
We have iiad wire shoots and tramways, which hava 
done excellent service ; but for this higher work, 
although much has been written and talked about 
it, the planters som-'how have fought shy and 
been chary of introducing it. At Darjeeling, as well 
as at home and elsewhere, it is not uncommon to see 
the steel rope carrying power from a dis.ant point, 
and this too in a highly successful way. Here 
however, a good deal of money will rather be ex- 
pended in excavating a bad site for a factory so 
as to bring it to the power, than the other way 
of bringing the power to the factory ; and if this 
can’t be done, well an engine is gone in for, which 
needs constant feeding, and the cheap water motor 
is sighed over and neglected. 
The first introduction to Ceylon of a wire rope ar- 
rangement has been made at. Roseneath estate, Kundy, 
and has turned out a complete success. It was 
during the last visit of the late Mr. John Walker, 
founder of Messrs. John Wa ker & Co., that the 
matter was talked over and arranged for; the 
details and plans being in the hands of Mr. John 
Grieve of Messrs. Walker & Grieg. Those who 
know Mr. John Walker, and have seen how this his 
last work in Ceylon is as eminently successful as 
aught else he set his mind to, have considerable 
regrets that he is not alive today. He would certainly 
have been satisfied. 
Roseneath has no firewood and but a small water 
supply, so to make the most of what water there is 
was a necessity. The factory is built on a suitable 
site at the top of a fall of 70 ft. — the ground, which 
is very rocky, eloping gradually away from the 
factory. To utilize this fall the turbine had to be 
placed a considerable distance from the factory. 
The turbine is supplied with water from a dam and 
is regulated at the roller! So that the whole 
arrangement is well under command and no water 
need be wasted. The wire rope which trans- 
mits the power from the turbine is nearly 
idO ft. long, and is carried over a cart road. 
There was a fear that this might be an objection, 
as the noise mir>ht frighten horses ; but so si'ently 
(toes the rope slide along that it can scarctly be 
heard. 
The difficulty of adjusting the rope to suit the 
change of temperature, and the wear, is got ver by 
im ans of a very i '("’ni(^us, effi"ient, and automatic 
arrangement. Had tins been known to the railway 
engineers at the 'ime they wem struggling with 
the wire shoot at the Hlaokwater slip, most of 
their ditfioulties would have disappeared. 
There was one point which caused some fear and 
trembling. That was the possibility that the rope 
itself would absorb much of the power. This how- 
ever has turned out only nominal : so easily is the 
rope driven that four times more power can be taken 
out of the water than was formerly developed by a 
water-wheel, Messrs. Walker & Greig have the 
credit of erecting the first steel-rope motor in 
Ceylon ; and, as has already been said, they have 
done this most successfully. Mr. John Grieve, who 
has seen to the erecting, and generally supervised 
the work, is fairly justified in feeling not a little 
proud of it. 
^ 
TROUT FROM NUWARA ELIYA. 
Mr. Le Mesurier’s experiment in trout breeding 
is producing good results when ho is able to give 
out livelv good siz^d trout to stock other streams. 
Last week, Mr. Nock of Hakgala got no hss than 
32 of such trout to carry down and place in the 
“ Sita E'la” — tbc romantic as well as beautiful 
stream (a big “ burn” in Highland terras) which 
derives its name from the traditions which fid the 
neighbourhood with the names of Rama, Ravana 
and the Queen Sita. Mr. Nock most carefully 
discharged his duty and was rewarded by seeing 
all the trout swim away as lively as possible, in 
the sheltered pool into which he placed them. 
Anyone who has travelled down the road to 
Hakgala may have observed that the Sita Ella is, in 
many respects, the hean ideal of a trout stream 
with i'.s clear pure water, numerous level reach' 
as well as tumbling cascades. We trust there will 
be no inte: ference by natives, (there was a rumour 
of a Sinhalese with dynamite being heard of 
interfering with streams towards Horton’s Rlains: 
should he be caught, severe punishment ought to 
bo awarded) ; and as the Sita Ella runs along so 
public a road, travellers should be a check ou 
would-be depredators. We would fain hope that a 
full measure of success may attend the trout 
experiment here as well as in all our higher sf reams. 
Already trout of several Ih. each are spoken of 
as having been seen in connection with some of 
the earlier experiments, and a Straits visi'or — an 
eager angler — wrote to us the other day from 
Singapore that he was never more tempted than 
by a fine trout he saw in the Nuwara Eliya 
stream. 
COTTON GROWING IN CEYLON. 
In answer to Mr. James Robertson’s enquiry, 
the Hon. W- W. Mitchell is good enough to give 
the following information : — 
Mr. Robertson sent us sample pods about a 
month ago and I rep rted on them to him. 
It ia ju",t the kidney cotton, that so much has 
been written about, and I really cannot say more 
than Mr. Robertson savs, that “ it is the proper 
k'n3 for Ceylon.’’ I don’t thuik that Bee(l need be 
imn-rted, for there are trees in many parts of the 
c 'untry, but they are scattered and no quantity can 
bo got anywhere. 
I have been suppl'ing Egyptian and New Orleans 
kinds free to Government and we have plenty c f such, 
but to tb. ir ri’quests for kidney kind I have had to 
say: ” Collect it in tli' villages through healtneii— 
for I have none.” 
To that part of Mr. Robertson’s letter about ( il from 
seed I cannot reply. It c u1 1 not compete in Europe 
and would onlv do for India, 
The S & W. C". sre selling lot^ spo-t of the 
other kinds at R2 per owt. and it seems as if the pro- 
duction of it would all bo taken otf for cattle feeding. 
