Jan.  I,  1897.] 
THE  TROPIC  \L  ACRICULTOPIS  P. 
479 
DAV^IDSON’S  PATENT  SlliOCCO 
TEA  MACHINERY. 
Last  week  we  quoted  au  article  from  the  Indian 
rianiinf/  Gazette,  in  which  complimentary  notice  was 
taken  of  this  well-known  firm’s  tea  machinery.  The 
subject  has  again  been  brought  to  our  atteniion  by 
the  receipt  of  a very  useful  and  interesting  pamphlet 
catalogue  containing  illustrations  an  1 descriptive 
matter  of  Messrs.  Davidson  & Co.’s  va  ous  machines 
for  the  manufacture  of  tea  and  accomi.  uied  bya  port- 
rait of  the  head  of  the  firm.  Mr.  S.  C.  Davidson,  whose 
name,  says  the  Borne  and  Colonial  Mail,  has  been  so 
widely  known  throughout  the  teadistricts  for  years  that 
planters  unacquainted  w'ith  his  personality  might 
possibly  have  the  idea  that  he  is  a grey-haired 
veteran.  Although  Mr.  Davidson  has  been  up  wards  of 
thirty  years  actively  connected  with  tea,  it 
must  be  remembered  (continues  our  contemporary, 
that  he  started  his  planting  career  in  his 
early  teens,  and  we  can  state  from  our  own  per- 
sonal knowledge  that  the  portrait  is  a good  like- 
ness of  him,  time  having  dealt  gently  with  him, 
and  he  not  only  is  as  vigorous,  active,  and  enter- 
prising as  ever,  but  looks  to  be  in  the  full  posses- 
sion of  those  important  qualities,  together  with  the 
secret  of  perpetual  youth.  The  pamphlet  opens 
with  particulars  of  the  various  commercial  changes 
lately  made  in  India  and  elsewhere  affecting  the 
representation  abroad  of  the  Sirocco  Engineering 
Works.  Messrs.  Davidson  and  Co.  have  now  a 
branch  establishment  of  their  own  at  4,  5,  and  6, 
Lall  Bazaar,  Calcutta,  under  the  experienced  man- 
agement of  Mr.  II.  M.  Harris,  formerly  of  the 
Colombo  branch,  which  is  now  under  the  management 
of  Mr.  George  E.  Shanks,  from  the  Belfast  office. 
Mr.  C.  W.  U.  Adamson  is  chief  visiting  engineer  for 
Assam  and  Bengal,  with  Mr.  Garratt  as  assistant,  while 
estates  in  Ceylon,  Southern  India,  and  Java  are 
looked  after  by  Mr.  P.  G.  Maguire,  chief  visiting 
engineer  for  the  Colombo  branch,  with  Mr.  Farbridgo 
as  his  assistant. 
It  is  pointed  out  in  the  pamphlet : — “Our  list  of  Tea 
machinery  has  lately  been  increased  by  a number  of 
our  Mr.  S.  C.  Davidson’s  newly  patented  inventions, 
the  addition  of  w'hich  now  puts  us  in  the  pioneer- 
position  of  being  the  first  to  supply  Tea  factories  with 
an  eiUireli/  complete  outfit  of  mechanical  appliances 
for  each  and  every  process  in  the  manufacture  of  Tea, 
from  the  time  the  leaf  is  brought  into  the  Pactory 
up  to  its  being  sent  off  as  finished  Tea  in  packed 
chests, 
This  complete  outfit  comprises  machinery  for  With- 
ering and  Permenting,  Rolling,  Drying,  Cutting, 
Sorting,  and  Packing;  also  our  recently  patented 
Steam  Engines,  Fans,  and  “ Double-Clincher  ’’  Belt 
Fasteners. 
We  have  been  appointed  Sole  Selling  Agents  in 
Assam,  Bengal,  and  Ceylon  for  Tangyes’  Patent  Oil 
Engines,  The  “ Unbreakable’’  Pulley  and  Mill  Gearing 
Co.  Ltd.’s  specialities  for  the  economical  transmission 
of  power,  and  the  “ Titan  ’’  Edge  Belting.  Particulars 
as  to  prices,  &c.,  can  be  had  from  our  Calcutta  and 
Colombo  Depots.’’ 
The  II.  and  0.  Mail  thus  describes  the  pamphlet : — 
The  pamphlet,  while  partaking  somewhat  of  the 
nature  of  a catalogue,  is  intended  more  particularly 
to  refer  only  to  improvements  in  existing  and  entirely 
new  Sirocco  tea  machinery,  and  we  notice  that  the 
order  in  which  the  machines  are  dealt  with  is  accord- 
ing to  the  order  of  each  jirocess  of  manufacture, 
tne  first  machine  illustrated  aud  described  being  for 
withering  tea  leaf,  and  as  this  is  au  entirely  new 
machine  we  have  no  doubt  planters  will  be  very  much 
interested,  in  the  particulars  given.  It  is  stared  that 
for  upwards  of  thirty  years  past  the  diificult  problem 
of  successfully  accomplishing  the  withering  of  tea 
leaf  by  artificial  means  has  received  Mr.  Davidson’s 
unremitting  study  and  attention,  his  investigations 
during  the  first  half  of  this  period  having  been  carried 
out  on  his  own  estate,  while  his  further  experiments 
towards  the  development  of  a suitably  practical  form 
of  machine  for  the  purpose  were  conducted  at  his 
works  in  Belfast,  the  outcome  of  which  had  been  the 
machine  now  under  reference.  'The  fii-  t of  these 
machines  tuts  been  in  practical  oneratlon  during  the 
current  season  at  Rasetpur  'Tea  E.-'t<it  ■,  Sc;u-th  Syi’aet, 
where  it  was  rhown  to  bo  capable  of  withering  each 
charge  of  le.af,  whether  wet  or  cry,  in  an  hour  and  a 
half.  The  leaf  has  merely  to  be  thrown  into  the  drum 
or  cylinder,  which  is  now'  being  made  capable  of  hold- 
ing a leaf  charge  of  about  six  inaunds  at  a time,  and 
when  the  engine  is  started  the  fun  and  drum  are  put 
in  motion,  and  warm,  moist  air  ciic.lated  through 
the  leaf.  All  the  heat  necessary  for  warming  the  air 
and  withering  the  leaf  is  snpplieclf  o:n  the  waste  steam 
of  the  engine,  and  the  air  is  kcp.  ccntinuously  cir- 
culated through  and  through  the  mu'titubular  heater, 
fan,  and  withering  drum,  so  that  it  soon  becomes 
charged  with  vapour  from  the  moisture  out  of 
the  leaf,  and  it  is  claimed  that  this  hot  moist 
vapour,  in  conjunction  with  the  motion  imparted  to 
the  leaf,  accomplishes  the  withering  of  it  efficiently 
and  rapidly,  and  at  the  fame  time  imparts  to  the 
leaf  an  agreeable  perfume. 
The  trials  that  the  machine  has  been  subjected 
to  at  Rasetpur  have  shown  that  it  fully  withers  the 
leaf  in  an  hour  a-.id  a half  but  as  the  loaf  on 
being  delivo;ed  from  the  machine  is  soniowh.-.t  warm, 
it  is  obvious  th.-rt  modified  methods  of  handling  it 
in  the  subsequent  stages  of  rolling,  Ac.,  will  be 
necessary,  as  compared  to  the  methods  suitible  for 
leaf  withered  in  the  ordinary  way,  and  although 
Mr.  Davidion  is  not  as  j'et  entirely  satisfied  with 
the  quality  of  the  tea  produced  by  this  machine 
the  re.sults  already  obtained  are  nevertheless  suffi, 
cientiy  encouraging  to  convince  him  that,  with  a 
few  further  modifications  in  the  methods  of  treat- 
ing the  leaf  after  it  comes  from  the  machine, 
as  good,  if  not  better,  tea  can  be  0!  tained  from 
the  machine-withered  leaf  as  with  tint  withered 
in  the  ordinary  wt.y.  But  as  the  mr-.  bine  Mr. 
Davidson  has  been  experimenting  with  at 
Rasetpur  would  lie  idle  during  the  cold  weather 
months,  we  iiiider stand  he  is  at  present  ar.  anging  to 
have  it  transferred  to  Ceylon,  where  plenty  of  leaf  is 
available  at  this  time  of  year,  in  order  that  its  further 
experimental  trials  may  be  continued  there,  and  until 
these  experimental  trials  are  fully  carried  out  he  is 
notdieriug  this  machine  for  sale,  but  considers  its 
l)relia-iinary  working  has  been  sufficiently  succesTrd 
to  entitle  him  to  include  it  in  his  present  catalogue. 
As  the  success  of  this  machine  would  have  such  far- 
reaching  effects,  representing  nothing  kss,  in  fact, 
than  a complete  revolution  on  present  methods  of  tea 
manufacture,  wc,  in  common  with  every  enterprising 
member  of  the  tea  community,  will  be  m’  ch  interested 
in  watching  its  further  trials  and  development,  and 
shall  willingly  keep  our  readers  posted  with  such 
information  as  we  may  be  able  to  gain  from  time  to 
time  wi  ill  reference  to  it,  but  we  have  no  doubt  it 
will  take  some  little  time  yet  before  the  correct 
line;  of  working  the  rrachine  and  effecting 
whatever  necessary  changes  in  the  subsequent 
processes  of  nnrnufacture  are  occasioned  by  its 
employment,  can  be  definitely  settled.  However,  trom 
the  results  so  far  obtained,  Blr.  Davidson  is  thoroughly 
confident  of  its  ultimate  success  in  every  respect 
and  we  will  now  only  exj  ress  the  hope  that  his  most 
sanguine  expectations  may  be  realised  to  their  fullest 
extent,  and  that  this  machine  will  eventually  and 
soon  take  a high  place  among  the  many  successful 
inventions  with  which  his  name  is  already  a.“sociatcd 
in  connection  w'ith  the  tea  industry.  ' , 
The  next  on  tho  list  is  Davidson's  Patent  Tea 
Leaf  Rolling  .Cachin  ',  which  is  a new  dufartureiu 
this  hue,  and  the  leading  features  of  w .dcli  may  be 
summarised  as  follows  : — 
1.  Xii'i  leaf  rocepta'.'l'j  ahoy- ; the  i*i.)l!ing  table  is 
stitionary,  and  the  in  ichi  . : crnseqiienlly  has  fewer 
moving  parts. 
2.  The  discharge  of  the  leaf  takes  place 
through  a side  door  in  the  stationary  leaf 
receptacle,  and  not  down  through  the  centre  of  the 
rolling  table,  as  in  the  machines  hitherto  in  use. 
