April  i,  1897.] 
THE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURISlr. 
COLLOM’S  patent  “ ACME  ” TEA  SOP^T- 
IN(L  MACHINE  AND  SELF-ACTING 
MESH  CLEANER. 
Last  week  we  were  invited  to  attend  the  offices  of 
Mr.  James  Melling,  consulting  engineer,  Dashwood 
House,  E.C.,  to  witness  a demonstration  of  a work- 
ing model  of  the  above-mentioned  machine.  Mr.  Col- 
lom,  the  inventor  and  patentee,  was  present  and  ex- 
plained the  working  and  the  advantages  he  claims  for 
his  invention.  It  is  a neat,  compact  machine  about 
10  ft.  in  length,  2 ft.  (1  in.  wide,"^  and  i ft.  6 in.  high. 
The  longtudinal  frames  are  of  strong  angle  iron, 
strengthened  at  the  corners  by  cheek  plates  being 
rivetted  to  the  frames,  and  are  held  rigidly  together 
by  traverse  steel  rods. 
Upon  this  structure  two  long  trays  are  sus- 
pended, in  which  the  interchangeable  sliding 
mesh  frames  are  placed.  The  upper  tray  has  a slight 
fall  from  right  to  left,  the  under  tray  from  left  to 
right.  This  fall  can  be  increased  or  lessened  accord- 
ing to  wish.  An  ingenious  and  simple  arrangement 
is  fitted  to  the  two  trays,  and  is  connected  to  a 
crank  shaft  having  its  supports  and  bearings  at  the 
left  hand  end  of  the  framework.  The  crank  shaft 
is  also  fitted  with  a small  fly-wheel  and  a split  pulley. 
When  the  motive-power  is  applied  the  crank  shaft 
and  connecting  rod  impart  to  the  trays  a rapid 
backward  and  forward  motion,  so  arranged  that  a 
counter-balancing  action  is  obtained,  thus  ensuring 
absolute  steadiness.  A i-h.p.  engine  is  sufficient  to 
drive  a full  size  machine. 
Mr.  Collom  has  recently  added  a “ mesh  cleaner,” 
a very  useful  addition.  When  the  meshes  become 
choked,  by  simply  pressing  a lever  downwards  the 
“ mesh  cleaner  ” is  put  into  action,  and  the  whole 
sifting  surfaces  become  at  once  quite  free.  This  is 
accomplished  while  the  machine  is  running  at  full 
speed,  a great  saving  of  time.  This  invention,  it  is 
claimed,  will  sort  five,  three,  or  two  grades  at  one 
operation,  and  we  were  informed  that  a full-size 
machine  has  sorted  1,000  lb.  of  tea  in  one  hour. 
The  model  certainly  worked  admirably.  A pound 
and  a half  to  two  pounds  of  tea  was  placed  in  the 
top  tray  (when  in  motion),  and  in  a very  short  time 
all  had  passed  through  the  different  sorting  spouts 
into  separate  receptacles,  completing  the  operation 
in  a most  satisfactory  manner. — II.  and  C.  3Iail, 
March  5. 
THE  INDIAN  TEA  ASSOCIATION, 
LONDON. 
The  following  is  the  interim  report  of  the  Ameri- 
can and  Foreign  Tea  Committee  : — 
In  presenting  their  interim  report  the  committee 
have  the  pleasure  to  state  that,  in  respon.se  to  the 
appeal  made  in  March,  1896,  subscription  to  the  fund 
for  introducing  Indian  teas  to  the  American  market 
amounted  to  the  sum  of  11103,674-8-0  say  (£6,500)  as 
against  R92,575  collected  in  1895.  This  included,  as 
in  the  previous  year,  a generous  contribution  from 
the  planters  of  Southern  India. 
Mr.  Blechynden,  the  renresentative  of  the  associ- 
ation in  America,  has,  under  the  direction  and  super- 
vision of  your  committee,  continued  to  co-operate 
with  Mr.  Mackenzie,  representing  Ceylon,  in  the 
work  of  bringing  the  teas  of  both  India  and  Ceylon 
to  the  notice  of  the  American  public.  Your  com- 
mittee are  therefore  satisfied  that  everything  possi- 
ble is  being  done  to  awaken  interest  in  our  teas  by 
carefully  arranged  advertisements  and  articles  in 
the  press,  as  well  as  judicious  aid  given  to  traders 
in  taking  up  our  teas  in  competition  with  those  of 
China  and  Japan, 
Advertisements  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  teas  appear 
in  large  type,  followed  by  the  advertisements  of 
traders  who  have  the  tea  for  sale,  in  leading  journals 
circulating  in  the  following  towns,  viz.  ; New  York, 
Brooklyn,  Philadelphia,  Boston,  Detroit,  Buffalo, 
New  Haven,  New  Bedford,  Paterson,  Pittsburg,  Ma- 
lome,  Massina,  and  Chatiangay. 
7J5 
refer  to  the  extracts  from 
iXr.  i31echynden’s  report  on  his  work  for  1890,  which 
are  annexed,  as  affording  strong  evidence  of  the  value 
of  the  work  done  and  of  the  necessity  of  continuing 
the  campaign.  ‘ ° 
The  progress  made  in  the  use  of  Indian  and  Ceylon 
teas  in  North  America  is  rlis'inctly  encr  aragiug,  as^ the 
b°J  "*.*°*'  been  carefully  revised 
by  Messrs  Gow,  Wilso>',  and  Stanton,  will  show 
Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  taken  bv  North  America 
'be  last  six  yeais.  Indian;  1896 
5,205,405;  1895,  4,050.595;  1894,2,423,230;  1893  2 111  247' 
l,.'U2,.32Ub.  Ceylon  ; 
4,268,614;  l89.o,  o,  i3a,590;  1894,  2.29,5  140-  1893 
1-^89,474;  1891,  991,98nb  ’ Total 
1896,  9,4/4,019;  1895,  7,792,185;  1894,  4 723  370- 
1893,  3,981,837 ; 1892,  3,075,900  ; 1891,  2,334  3021b 
Foreign  markets  absorbed  42  million  lbs'  of  British- 
grown  tea  in  1896.  There  is  no  possibility  of  exactly 
gauging  the  benefit  to  prices  thereby  obtained,  but 
some  indi^ition  may  be  gathered  from  the  follov/ino- 
ftgurss;  The  importations  of  all  teas  into  the 
United  Kingdom  increased  from  1890  to  1896  bv 
4^  million  lb.,  and  the  price  of  British-grown  tea  fell 
2d  per  lb.  m that  period.  It  may  be  fairly  as- 
assumed  that  if  tne  42  million  lb.  of  tea  absorbed  by 
foreign  markets  had  come  to  this  market  in  1896 
prices  would  have  been  reduced  by  a further  2d  per 
lb.,  which  vvould  mean  a loss  not  less  than  a inillioii 
pounds  sterling  to  the  Indirn  tea  producers  only. 
Looking  at  these  facts,  and  considering  that  this 
year  s crops  from  both  India  and  Ceylon  are  likely  to 
show  a substantial  increase,  your  committee  ‘are 
strongly  of  opinion  that  there  should  be  no  relaxation 
made  at  present  in  the  effort  to  win  the  American 
market,  and  they  therefore  recommend  another  lew  on 
in  cTlcuUa*'^^^  ’ collected,  as  before, 
James 
Riddell,  R.  G.  Shaw,  A.  G.  Stanton,  J.  N Stuart 
John  Stewart  W.  H.  Verner,  C.  W.  Wallace,,  mem- 
10^1  of  committee ; Earnest  Tye,  secretary.  Feb.  18 
1897' — II.  and  C . Had,  M-arcL  5.  ' * 
PRODUCE  AND  PLANTING. 
The  Anti-Tea  CiiusADE. — Mr.  Crole’s  reference  in 
his  lecture  read  before  the  Society  of  Arts  to  the 
digestive  difficulties  of  a meat  tea  has  given  the  op- 
ponents of  tea  an  opportunity.  These  good  people 
occasionally  lash  themselves  into  frenzy  about  the 
awful  consequences  of  tea  drinking,  and  therefore 
the  smallest  indication  of  support  from  a lecturer 
on  tea  gives  them  a much-desired  opening.  Under 
the  head  of  “The  Terrors  of  the^  Teapot  ” the 
Daily  Graphic  prints  the  following  effusion  from  a 
correspondent;  “Tea  is  so  daily-nay,  hoiulv-a 
beverage  that  Mr.  David  Crole,  whose  lecture  at  the 
bociety  of  Arts  you  recently  reported,  renders  ser- 
vice to  humanity  by  exposing  its  horrors  and  the 
risks  people  incur  by  imbibing  freely  of  a poisonous 
effusion.  The  portentous  names  are  perplexing,  but  who 
does  not  fear  an  attack  of  indigestion  as  pointed 
out  by  Mr.  David  Crole  in  his  able  lecture  ? He  omits 
to  speak  of  the  meat  breakfast.  It  is  easier  to 
digest  than  the  meat  tea,  and  might  it  not  be  helpful 
to  analyse  the  assimilation  of  the  contents  of 
the  terrible  teapot  in  conjunction  with,  say,  bacon 
sausages,  kidneys,  cutlets,  and  other  breakfast  dishes' 
various  cold  meats  on  the  side 
table.!  ihe  demon  teapot  has  so  firm  a hold  that 
his  worshippers  will  not  easily  lose  faith  in  their 
idol.  Practical  suggestions  of  a less  injurious 
beverage  would  benefit  the  community.  Have  we 
nothing  to  fall  back  on  our  breakfast  but  the  small 
beer  of  tlie  good  old  days  when  the  horrible  teapot 
and  Its  dead  iness  were  unknown  ?”  It  is  rather  rough 
on  Mr.  Crole  that  his  lecture  on  tea  should  have 
been  made  a peg  whereon  to  hang  a hatful  of  abuse 
against  tea,  and  an  excuse  for  launching  such  demi- 
‘ cuss  words  as  “ terrible,”  “ horrible,”  and  “ demon  ' 
at  an  inoffensive  teapot. 
