Dec. i, 1897.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 4*7 
tension to Norwood and Nawalapitiya, there is little 
decrease in the work turned out. Here all the 
heavy iron castings are done, besides other heavy 
iron work, and it forms an important centre from 
which the other branches can be worked. 
Among the engineering work at present in hand 
is a complete factory for the estate ot Feiham 
in the Dimbula district. The factory will have an 
output capacity of 150,000 lb. made tea. It is 
to be 40 feet by 84 feet in size. The motive power 
is to he a 14 horse-power oil engine, and a full 
complement of tea machinery is to be erected. 
Wanarajah factory is having an extension of 60 
feet by 40 feet made to the main wing. 
An entire remodelling of Tunisgalla factory, Ean- 
galla, is in hand, with an addition of 100 feet by 40 
feet. There is to be laid down for this factory a 
20 horse-power Peltou wheel. 
At present the Norwood branch is exceptionally 
busy with a large number of orders from estates in 
the surrounding districts, and Mr. Stewart has 
his hands full for some time to come. Among 
the orders in hand are the following : — ■ 
A new factory for Gangawatte estate, in Maskeliya. 
The factory is to be 87 ft. by 40 ft., and like almost all 
new factories is to be built principally of iron with 
the roof the full 40 feet span. The motive power 
is to be a Peltou wheel of 20 horse-power, working 
under a 240 feet fall. There will be two rollers, one 
a 32-inch “ Rapid ” and the other perhaps a smaller 
one, two driers, one a down-draft No. 3 desiccator. 
Brown & Co.’s sifter and roll breaker (invented 
sometime ago by Mr. Stewart himself). It is ex- 
pected that the capability of this factory will be a 
200,( 00 lb. output. 
Another order in hand is for Forres estate in the same 
district where they are partly converting an old coffee 
store irto an extension of the tea factory. Additional 
motive power is also to be introduced in a 15 horse- 
power Pelton, driven under a 630 feet fall. This is sup- 
plementary to a iO nominal horse-power steam engine, 
put in some time ago. Last year a full complement 
of machinery was put into this factory which in- 
cluded, two 32-inch “Rapid” rollers, two No. 3 
desiccators, sifter and roll breakers. In connection 
with the introduction of the water power, 1,900 feet 
of 5-inch diameter top-welded steel piping will be 
used, besides 500 feet open spouting to bring the 
water along the edge of a precipice to the piping. 
In the Agras, Iona estate is having erected a 
very big factory 60 feet by 30 feet for which Nor- 
wood branch has secured the iron work contract. 
The girders are to be carried across the whole 
building without support in the centre. There is 
to be installed an 18 horse-power turbine and other 
machinery to turn out a total of 170,000 lb. of tea. 
Another factory in the Agras for “ Caledonia ” 
estate has just been finished. It is almost similar 
to the Gangawatte estate factory already referred 
to, and has a 20 horse-power turbine, with a 16'3 
feet head of water. 
A 20 horse-power turbine is being laid down for 
Kotagalla estate, Bogawantalawa. At present this 
factory has a 30 feet water wheel and this turbine 
is therefore supplementary. 
The iron work of a factory extension of 60 
feet by 48 feet on Bogawana estate, Bogawan- 
talawa, is another order in hand. There is also 
to be a 25 horse-power turbine and some new 
machinery laid down, which will entail an entire re- 
arrangement of the present factory machinery. 
An extension to the factory of St. John Del Eey 
estate, all iron, and 40 feet by 40 feet, has just been 
finished. 
It is only ten months since Messrs. Brown & Co, 
extended their business ; since then Nawalapitiya has 
become quite an engineering centre under the able 
management of Mr. G. L. Brown. An extensive 
workshop with engineering plant has been erected, 
and a pile of work is being turned out there. 
Since Mr. Brown went to Nawalapitiya, Little 
Valley and Ardross have been supplied with Pelton 
VrheeU. 
A complete factory with a steam engine and 24 
horse-power boiler is being completed on Eattewatte 
estate. 
Donside, Gampola, is having a new factory built, 
for which Messrs. Brown & Co are preparing the 
ironwork. 
A new and extensive withering-house is being 
built on Sanquhar estate, Gampola'. The size will 
be 76 feet by 35 feet. 
Mount Temple estate, Gampola, is having an im- 
portant addition to its machinery. 
A Pelton wheel of 15 horse-power, under a 490 
feet fall, with its connecting water course and piping 
is to be laid down on Raxawa estate. 
Tellisagalla estate factory, Kotmalie, is to have 
an extension of some dimensions. 
A Pelton wheel is to be installed at the factory of 
Dangkande, Rangalla. 
The erection of new machinery cannot go on for 
ever ; Messrs. Brown & Co. by having machinery 
at every branch have laid the plant down, so that 
they are able to cope with machinery repairs of 
any description on the shortest notice. One of our 
representatives was shown round the Hatton and 
Norwood establishments the other day, and was 
surprised at the various and large quantities of 
stores kept in stock. Mr. Grieve intormed our 
representative that they had been slightly inconve- 
nienced in the engineering department by the slip, 
but that, owing to their large stocks and the 
goodness of the Railway Company, they had not 
suffered much inconvenience in the store depart- 
ment. 
In connection with their large store at Hat- 
ton, the firm has a most efficient aerated water 
manufactory, fitted up with some of the latest 
appliances for rapid work. Owing to the slip they 
have recently been working at high pressure 
to keep up with the demand for their aerated 
waters. 
The Colombo headquarters are mostly used for 
forwarding and commercial purposes. The other 
places have not only engineering works, but the 
firm have attached to each a general store of large 
dimensions fron) which they do a large and in- 
creasing business. Mr. Pearson stationed in Colombo, 
controls the store business and acta in the capacity 
of Commercial Manager. 
PLANTING NTOES. 
Cholera akp Planters. — The Indian Tea Associa- 
tion has, we understaMd, recently engaged the services 
of a Dr. Mulheim in introducing his cholera specific 
in the coolie depots. The Doctor has accepted the 
modera'e remuneration offered him *.c., E150 a month 
and all his travelling expenses for three months, and 
proceeds to Gauhati . — Planting Opinion. 
Sale of a Coconut Estate.— Mr. Bastian Fernando, 
plumbago merchant of Kollupitiya, has completed 
the purchase of a coconut estate about 300 acres in 
extent at Haldandnwana, in the Chilaw district, from 
certain villagers, about 30 in number, who held the 
land in common. The estate is fully planted, part 
of it being in bearing, and is situated opposite to 
the Ceylon Tea Plantations Company’s i roperty in 
the same district. The price paid was R60,000, and 
the negotiations were carried to a successful termi- 
nation by Mr. Ekauayake iludaliyar, the well-known 
broker and commission agent. 
Coffee : Maragogipe Hybrids. — A Nilgiri planter 
draws attention to the good effects of hybridisation. 
He writes : “ I was much struck with the good out- 
turn of last season’s coffee from one of ray places, 
and pleased with the large proportion of A. A. size. 
I attribute it to my having some years ago filled up 
the vacancies with Hybird Maragogipe plants. The 
neighbouring plants seem to have been ‘ inoculated,’ 
so to speak. I have a field of 5 acres of them just- 
coming on. They are remarkably healthy and free 
from disease. There is no doubt about it : we have 
gone on too long planting Arabica, and the introduc- 
tion of a fresh strain is desirable .” — Planting Opinioiit 
