tHP’ tRd^JGAL AdRICULtURlSt. 
March 2, 1891.] 
647 
well as ripe leaves to avoid too much trouable and 
make a large profit in a fhorb time. 
I must at once take the opportunity of advising my 
readers as to their close application now. This is the 
time when if the jdaut is neglected and the leaves not 
cut it sends out the pole, the appearance of which, as 
you are already aware, sea's its doom to the sad loss 
of the cultivator who, after he is sensible of its value, 
will in no way relish it. Here begins the constant 
work which is justly so since there is no stoppage as 
crop goes on from one year’s end to another. The 
proof of this is that a field or plantation started upon 
cutting at one end will, before the other end is 
reached, be ready to start over again, and this, too, 
whether rainy or dry weather; great attention is now 
required so as not to loose the leaves after cutting nor 
the filament after extraction. At thi.s time there 
ought to be a very large number of young shoots 
around the plants which may be taken away to supply 
other fields. 
Chapter VII. 
Machinery, Drying Stand, Press and Buildings. 
To begin there must be on the spot or as near as 
possible a good and never failing supply of water for 
the use of the engine and otherwise. In the selection 
of the engine it of course depends on the number of 
acres in cultivation to form the calculation. It tho 
plantation consists of 100 acres it requires an engine 
of 1 or IJ horse power to drive the fibre-extracting 
machine ; one fibre machine is allowed to every 
hundred acres to be driven direct from the engine. 
There is no actual necessity of my describing the fibre 
extracting machine of Yucatan when we can have a 
superior one of modern style, which will suit the work 
splendidly, and I am sure turn out the fibre to better 
advantage, creating loss waste. I will now give the 
details of the position, &e. Sufficient space must 
be allowed between tho engine and the cleaning 
machine to admit of the reception of the leaves on the 
stand which is fixed not faroff the machine, as well as to 
give room to the operators who take the'r position there. 
The machine, which is connected to the engino by 
means of a driving belt, is made to take a backward 
motion towards the engine and operators, which must 
necessarily be so in order that tho leaves on being 
inserted find their way downwards, the retuse or 
bagasse going under and emptying itself outside. The 
place where the machine is to be situated ought to 
have a certain elevation above the general level of the 
ground for facilitating the descent of the juice of the 
leaves and of the water which serves for the washing 
down, by means of natural or artificial declivities 
which conduct it to the deposits where it ought to 
be absorbed by the earth, or naturally evaporated 
by the action of the sun, from a neglect of which I 
have known many farm,s to present a disagreeable 
aspect all round. It is very important that the works 
be easily accessible to drays by having good roads, 
through which the work of carting in leaves, bringing 
in fuel, and carrying away the bagasse, &e., can 
be easily and quickly done, as on the good operation 
of these d"'pend in great part the punotu.ality and 
exactness of a work like this, which require*- the 
utmost persistence and entails loss in the least mis- 
management, as well as for its cheapness and the final 
out-turn of the business. The exposure of the building 
necessary to tho macliine should not be treated with 
indifference; on it is dependandent that the operators 
be not disturbed by the direct embracing rays of the 
sun, and to avoid this it is best to make this building 
face the north as they will not be free from the sun, 
but the ventilation would be as perfect as possible ; 
if not convenient to get it to face the north adopt in 
preference the cast, so as to participate of the advant- 
age enunciated, avoiding tho south and west which 
would bo insupportable for the opsrators in certain 
seasons of the year. It ought not to be lost sight of that 
the rule in Yucatan is that immediately after the 
day’s work tho fibre extracting machines ate well 
washed and cleaned ae the juice of theShemp ferment- 
ed is corrosive for the iron, thus keeping them clean they 
will work better and last longer. On examining a fibre 
machine there, after a day’s work, it will bo found as 
bright as polished steel, tho effect of this caustic juice. 
The cleaning wheel of the machine used in that place 
is from 39 to 54 inches diameter ; the last size is mere 
used as it is calculated that the wheel of greater 
diameter cleans the large leaves with more facility, 
but on the other hand requires greater motive power 
for maintaining it in point of velocity which the clean- 
ing demands. The number of revolutions in a cleaning 
wheel calculated there is from 150 to 200 per miuute 
at the least; if not so arranged the extraction of the 
fibre takes too long and is defective, in which case the 
combination of the engine and other wheels are reform- 
ed until the required velocity is obtained. 
Bryivtj -S'faHd.— This is for the purpose of hanging 
out tho fibre to dry in the sun and may be erected by 
putting up posts 3-^- or 4 feet high each at certain dis- 
tances apart, and nailing small rails on top or against 
them or, if preferred, wire may be used instead, making 
sufficient stands as may be required under the circum- 
stance ; they can be put close enough as to merely 
allow of the attendants going between, and must be 
at no distal ce from the cleaning machine nor too far 
from the baling room, free from all shade and exposed 
in such a manner as to have the benefit of the sun at 
any hour. 
The press is entitled to the next place ; this is 
much needed so as to put in the smallest space possible 
a certain quantity of fibre for easy and cheap carriage 
and transmission. 
Buildings ^ — The work can be carried on under one 
roof or in separate buildings as the planter chooses ; 
the spaces required will bo for engine, cleaning 
machines, baling or pressroom, artificial drying room 
(ihe object of this is explained further on;, and an 
open shed for the reception of the leaves from the 
field . — Fiji Times. 
* 
TEA IX 1890. 
The violent fluctuations in exchcTDge that ac- 
companied the disturbance of the bullion market 
by the Windom Silver Bill have reduced commer- 
cial operations with the Far East, during the past 
year, very nearly to a gamble. With silver ranging 
from 44d to 54d an ounce, and the tael flying about 
like a shuttlecock between 4s 3d and 5s 3d, anything 
like sober calculation seems impossible. Yet 1890 
will not, we believe, be remembered by China 
merchants as an altogether unsatisfactory year. 
Whether by good luck or good management, most 
things seem to have been “ coming out.” Certain 
classes of tea, for instance, have done well. Euesian 
buyers failed to obtain all they wanted on the 
Hankow market, and completed their purchases in 
London at rates which gave a satisfactory profit to 
importers; common kinds have been in fair demand 
for “ mixing” purposes, and the quality of the 
northern crop, at any rate, seems to have been 
on the whole better ; so that dealers were less 
disposed to condemn China teas in toto as a doomed 
and depreciated quantity. With all this, however 
the change in demand from Chinese to Indiaii 
produce has continued. The import of the former 
which amounted to 93,000,000 lb. in 1888 havinc 
fallen to 83,00u,000 lb. in 1889, and to 63,000.000 
lb. for 1890 ; while Indian supplies rose from 73 
to 74 and 79, and Ceylon from 20 to 28 and 40 
millions respectively. The progress of the change 
IS still better shown by certain statistics, recently 
published in our columns, giving the proportionate 
consumption in Great Britain, of China, India and 
thirteen from 
1878 to 1890 inclusive. It will be sullioicnt for 
our purpose to reproduce here a few of the figures 
to bring prominently gut the ratio o( citan^jel 
