October i, iSgi.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
• “ SIROCCO DAVIDSON" AND IIIS NEW- 
EST IDEAS AND INVENTIONS IN TEA 
MANt’EACTUUE. 
[^The leocipt of an early copy of the Indian Tcfi 
Planters' (lazette enables us now to quote the lull 
and detaileil ou'ount, which received Mr. David- 
son’s iiiiprimiUnr, of his system of manufacturing 
tea at a low tumperatuce by means of a power 
ful down draught so as to preserve the volatile 
oil on which tUvour depends, and to impart what 
is said to be so much needed, — keopiug qualities. 
Our planting readers will see that our ow i article in 
which we gave the results of our interview 
with Mr. Davidson embodied ell that was es- 
erntial in the improved process, as Mr. Davidson 
indeed cordially conceded. Mr. Davidson's verdict 
that all the Ceylon teas have the quality of high 
grown means that they are distinguished by delioate 
flsvuur. The mote important, therefore, is it that 
we should omit no tfibrt to preserve a quality, 
without which, Mr. Davidson’s experience shows 
our product cannot make headway in the 
Continental and American markets. In the por- 
trait which accompanies the notice of the distin- 
guished planter and machinist, justice is done to 
bis fine aquil ine features and intellectual head. 
It IS a noteworthy oiroumstanoe that Mr. 
Jackson, whose rollers are the most popular in the 
world, and Mr, Davidson, whose driers are equally, 
popular, should both be of Scotch origin. The 
difference is that Mr. Jackson is a pucka Scotchman 
(to use the Hindustani word which occurs in the 
article), hailiug from “Aberdeen awa’,” while 
Mr. Davidson is acutcha Scotsman, having been, 
born in Ireland, but be can claim, like another 
man so born, that it was ‘ because ho happened 
to bs there at the time,” He is in truth a 
member of the Scotch colony in the north 
of the emerald irle who by their intelligent octer- 
prise, and steady Indus ry have proved what a 
dilfureut ouuutry Ireland might be, if she were 
relieved from the incubi of ocaleeiastical thraldom 
leading to ignorance, on the one band, and un- 
sorupuious agitators on the other. To us it was 
iutereeling aud amusing to listen to able Eoientiiic 
disquisiliuna in language reudered piquant by the 
delioate combination in it of a Sootcli louudatiou 
acceal with relincd Irish brogue. It will be the 
pleasing duty now, wo oannol doubt, of the Indian 
PlaiUere’ Gazette to include in its portrait gallery 
and series of memoirs as good a likeness and as ap- 
prcciativo a notice of the other greater benefaetor of 
leu planters and inanufaeturors, Mr. Jackson, as have 
been given of Mr. Davidson. For Mr. Jackson it 
is claimed that his improved driers, specially the 
Britannia, if rightly worked, will secure all the 
impiovement in quality wliieh Mr. Davidson’s 
processes are oaloulated to ifleot. 
MU. S. 0. DAVIDSON. 
(Prom the Indian Tea Planters' Gazette.) 
Most of our tea planting friends are doubtless 
aware of Ibo fact that Mr. S. C. Davidson, the olevtr 
iuvimtor aud manufacturer of tUc i.ow tlioroughly 
well kuown Birecco Tea Dryore, Las beou on a visit 
to the Iiid au Tea District sinoo last November, and 
as wo oousidered it only right that the portrait ot 
a geutlemau to whom the tea iudu'-try owes so much 
should he produced in the columns ot the planters’ 
only journal, we tcok the opportunity of calling upon 
Mr. Davidson when ho whs pa.ssing through Calcutta 
on his way home and jest before having aud he 
very good naturedly aoooded to our request, went to 
Messrs. Bourne and Bhephecd'a and faced the oamera 
80 
with the sali-lii t iry result which we print on the 
opposite page. vVi; farther had the pb asure, in inter- 
viewing Mr. David.sou. of gathering the folio viug 
inti'resting particulars of hh career:— Be.'ides boing 
a I iiivenlur of luahufacturing much nery he is also 
a ton p actor of long experience, having begnn his 
career ns a planter ou bis own estate in Uaobar 
ill 1S64 when only auventoen, and although 
he retired from active iiianagcnient of his tea 
property some fourteen yonra ago, with the object 
of Htartmg a niaiiiifacluring hiisiiiHsa at homo lor the 
seveial machines which he bad oven then invented end 
patented in connection with tea manufaeture, yet he 
still coutinued to direct the management of his con- 
vern out here, and kept himself tborjiighly in touch 
with all the progressive improvements an t details of 
tia estate work in general and mauuFacturo in parti- 
cular, as be senaibly eonsidera that an inventor and 
manufacturer of machinery for any special industry 
mast, to keep abreast ot the times, have the growing 
rsquiroinenta of that iudu.'tiy always perfectly clear 
to bis mind ; and he also bo' ds that to excel In the 
manufsotiiie of any special article a kaowledge of what 
both purclissor and consumer look for in that aiticte 
is equally necoisarj — hence with this view and 
wbil 1 carrying on his machinery badness, be epen^ 
np what has now developed into a large business in 
Tea in the United Kingdom, aud hid branch establish- 
ments for the same in Paris, lierlin, Munich and St, 
Putersbnrgh, and on a more extensive ssale in New 
York. He found however, that the public taste in 
these places was strongly wedded toOuini and Japan 
teas, and that the col ivatiou of a taste for teas of 
Indian and Ceylon growih was a matter of each 
slow and gradual development, that the sales 
were as a rule, iosuflioient to support a busi- 
ness eiolusively devolej to these teas, so Isst year 
be re'uclantly decided to disocnliuiio these branohee. 
He however, feels sure liist ihe exprrienoo gained by 
him through th s foreign trade and tbs investiimtioni 
which it became necessary to make to ascertain the 
special peculiarities of the public taste in tea of such 
different oalionatities, gave uim more information as 
to the true value of flavonr, considered altogether 
apart from the matter of strength, than if be hod 
conhetd his operations exclusively to the Uuitsd King- 
dom, and as a broad rule he aacertaiued that it is 
flavour aud not strength that Continental and Amer- 
ican tea drinkers luok for and place most value upon. 
Accordingly about to years ago he kegao a series of 
prelimiuary experimeuts with some of the very fiuest 
flavored teas that he could procure of China and 
Darjeeling growth, to ascertaiu if their beautiful dtvor 
could be enhaiiceu by the application of any a|ieoisl 
degree of temperature in the drying prooessi those 
experiments wore carried out in bis laboratory, but 
somewhat to his sorprise be found that instead ot 
getting an eobsuceinent ot flavour from the action ot 
auy high temporaturei, the reverse was the case 
and that when the tea was raised above 130 deg. the 
very delicate flavour gradnall y diminished ; until at 
180 deg. to 180 deg. it almost entirely disappeard bnc 
so long as the tea was kept below deg. it did not 
snSer in the least, though no improvement wsi effected 
by the heat applied ; it was thus evideut that tba 
avonring matter of the leaf gradually became volatile 
when the temperature of the tea itself was raised to 
over 130 deg. and that what has got to be done in the 
manufacture of tea is to so dry it that these volatile 
constituents may not be lost. If they are lost by tbe 
employment of too high a temperature, be then found it 
necessary to go as far as 240 deg., at which temperatnre 
an nrtiflcial fl ivoiir known as “maUy”is produced which 
to some extent oompeusates for the loss of theoriginni 
pure tea flavour, bnt the great objoolion to tlie malty 
flavour is its teudenoy to, what the trade calls, “ ag 
off ’’ ill two or three mouths aui haiioo the complaint 
which the home trade have of late yenra raised as to 
tbe non-keeping qualities of Indian teas. It thus be- 
came perfectly evident to Mr. Davidson that in the 
first piao J ihe fl ivonr must bo a matter of the develop- 
ment due to climate effects on the growiog leaf and its 
treatment in maunfseturs prior to the drying proeess 
