July i, 1891. 1 
THE TROPICAL AORICULTURIST- 
23 
ahafta, bolts, pulleys, ifeo,, planing, slotting and shear- 
ing machines, vertical and oiroular saws, and other 
machinery n)l driven by steam. A large radial drilling 
machine attracted the visitor’s attention. This 
machine is used largely in connection with the 
manufacture of Jackson’s smaller tea rollers. The 
piece of machinery to be operated upon being 
once properly laid on the table there is no 
nocessity for moving it in the slightest (although 
the casting may require boring at different points) 
until tho work of boring has been acoomplUhed, 
for the drill has a swingirg arm in whiob there 
is a slide from which the borer depends so that 
in the language of the engineer, it is “quite true’’ 
in its work. “To the reflective mind,” philoso- 
phically, adds our oorrespondeiit, “there is much food 
for thought in this eharactorietic of a simple piece of 
mechanism, and the moral lesson it teaches can- 
not be too often enforced." Of the variety of 
saws he makes special mention of one which be 
says must very considerably facilitate the work in 
the carpentering department inasmuch as it has 
an arrangement of blades by which it can out 
up a log of wood into a largo number of planks 
at once. After watching tor a short time work- 
men engaged in tho actual fitting up of machines 
the visitor proceeded to the upper storey of the 
building, where on one side he found men at work 
on the famous tea tollers and the patent pulpera 
of which the firm has turned out thousands and 
is still executing orders, but principally for Java, 
there being pract cally no demand for them now 
in Ceylou since tho failure of coffee. On tho other 
side of the building oarpontors were busily preparing 
wood for structural purposes and fashioning it 
into doors, window-frames, Ac. Amongst the 
apparatus there considered worthy of some 
notice was a planing machine which did 
its work not only expeditiously but with 
remarkable cflioieney, the wood coming out so 
smooth that it had a polished surface. A bind 
saw was also closely examined, and tho fancy 
work it accomplished evoked admiration. Going 
downstairs noticing in passing that water buckets 
were suspended throughout the building so that 
any outbreak of fire — a remote contingency but 
still one which requires to bo guarded against — 
should be piomptly dealt with, the visitor crossed 
the intervening yard, where he saw the water- whoci 
and barges being built, to the blacksmiths’ shop 
fitted up with a number of fires fanned by currents 
of air passed through pipes from a sleam dri .en 
fan in a small engine-room adjoining; two steam 
hammers which can be regulated so as to eeme 
down almost as lightly as corking machines or 
with tremendous crushing force when r. quirod, 
eevernl largo drills and shearing and punching 
machinee. It was an iotoresling sight to seethe 
native smiths at work. They wielded iheharamor 
with a strength and skill whioh licked the re I 
hot iron, into shape as if it wore of th.j 
0 nwistency of putty rather than of metal. Boi.ntily 
clothed as they were, they fsarlessly attacked the 
glowing iron and scorntd perffotly heedless of the 
flying sparks. The foundry was next in-p oted. 
It is situated farther along Piinoo S r,mt beyond the 
ooal-sheds, and unlike the other buihiings has been 
entirely oonEtnieted by the Messrs. Walker. It was 
in tho morning when our correspcndint visited the 
place, and ho had not the opportunity therefore of 
seeing any east, but ho saw all the appliances and 
had the process clearly explained to him by tho 
superintendent, an intelligent, hard-working Scotch- 
man. Ho saw a large number of pillars being 
prepared, and these he was told were intended to bo 
used in the extension of the Grand Oriental Hotel. 
In {addition to tho crane outside for lifting the 
raw material to tho cupolas down whioh it is 
tilted into the furnace, there are three others 
ioside used for conveying the vessels con- 
taining the molton metal to the moulds. 
Large quantities of old metal are remelted, and the 
visitor was much interested to observe that amongst 
the material to be used lor this purpose were piles 
of cannon balls and as many big guns as would suflioe 
for the equipment of a tolerably sized fortification. 
The ordnanoB ha believes had been in use at 
Trinoomalee, and it will now undergo a pro- 
cess similar to that which is implied in the con- 
version of “swords into ploughshares,” being diverted 
from destruotivo to construotive purposes. The 
guns are broken by means of a heavy ball of iron 
called “Jumbo" being raised to a height and 
then suddenly dropped upon them, and tho 
fragments are then put into the cupola as re- 
quired. Leaving the moulding shop, tho marina 
work being executed by the firm was inspected ; 
and our correspondent says he was quite 
astonished to find so many vessels whose repair 
had been undertaken by the firm. He noticed 
that the hopper barge “Industry'’ had just left 
the clip, and was informed that it bad been prao- 
licully reqilated from stem to stern, On the slip 
there was a sicam launch having a saloon deck; and 
on enquiry tho fact was elicited that the vessel 
belongs to Mr. Akbar. It is being fitted with now 
engines, and from the shallowness of its draught 
appears to bo admirably adapted for river navi- 
gation. The slip it should be mentioned is 800 
feet in length and is capable of taking up a vessel 
of lOO to 120 tons. Amongst the other veseels 
noticed by the visitor was a steam lauccb being 
built for the British India Co.; and be oould not 
help admiring its graceful lines. Salvage operations 
also form an important part of the firm’s business, and 
the establishment is thoroughly equipped with all tho 
requisite apparatus for this dilfieuu and often danger- 
ous work — a huge coSer dam, salvage pumps mounted 
and ready for action, and diving gear. Altogether 
our correspondent says he was greatly pleased with 
his visit to tho works, and ooncludea by expressing 
his best wishes for the snoeess of the firm under its 
new name. 
-♦ 
TEA PLANTING IN NATAL. 
{liy an ex-Natal Tea Planter.) 
BITKS FOR planter’s HOUSE — TEA PLANTINO A SUCCESS 
IN NATAL — BOIL — CLIMATE— NURBKIttKS— PLANTINO 
AND PICKINO— MANmtlNO AND DIOniNO— SUELTEB 
TREKS — LABOUR SUPPLY— PBEPAIIATION OF TEA— IN- 
SUFFICIENT TRANSPORT FACILITIES— CEYLON TEA IN 
NATAL. 
The site which the Natal tea planter chooses for his 
home is one of a somewhat elevated position as the 
great impurtanoe of fresh and pnte air baa become 
fully recognized. Extended views of landscape are 
nsually eeleoted, for the front or principal outlook; and 
as these already exist iu Natal, the site of the ball or 
castle is settled, whore natural beauty exhibits itself ; 
no other place is selected. 
Tea is admirablv adapted to the climate of Sonth 
Africa. My stay tkero was for two years and was on 
an estate of 1,500 to 5,000 acres, throe hundred of 
wliich were planted with tea. I found that tea likes 
a damp, warm and genial atmospborq. Heat and 
moisture seem to be the two things which make the 
thing a success. It is nocissary also to coreon the 
tea Irom rough and cold winds ; and if treated fairly 
well, it will give good returns and good flushes, and 
will cause the planter to smiltdwheu ho puts his bsiids 
into his pockets. The soil in Natal is of a rich, yellow 
loamy nauito, inclining to bo sandy, it is not hard 
and lumpy, bnt loose, and this canses the roots of the 
tea to run easily, and find their bods. It is a great 
thing to see that tho plants are put in osrefully ; if 
