39i 
chine, which with an action of revolving beaters will knock the 
grain from the straw. The paddy will then pass straight into a 
gunny and be dispatched to the store, where it -will be sun-dried, 
winnowed, weighed and stored in wooden bins. For drying we 
have made shallow trays, the bottom being a sheet of corrugated 
iron, each holding one gunny. 1 his we find very convenient for 
handling and also the heat given out from the iron expedites the 
drying. The winnowing machine driven by power is one supplied 
by the Engelberg Huller Co., of Svracusse, U. S. A., which makes 
the paddy pass through a set of sieves, and, at the same time, the 
wind from a rotary fan contained in the machine and driven at a 
high velocity clears off all husk, straw, etc.., the sieves retaining 
any pieces of stone, earth, wood, etc. that may have got in. The 
yield last season was 175 to 200 gantangs (22 to 27 bushels) per 
acre and this season we hope to get a better average partly by the 
fields being clearer of wood and partly by planting at increased 
intervals which should give a larger grain. 
To have a stock of paddy is no doubt good, but it will not feed 
coolies and to have a gang of contractors on an estate with paddy 
is not advisable as a "good deal of their time would be taken up 
husking it with the time immemorial pestal and mortar. To ob- 
viate this the hulling is done by machinery which I will explain 
hereafter. 
As soon as the contractor has handed in all his grain, the divi- 
sion takes place and he receives a receipt for rice on his portion at 
the rate of 60 catties for each pikul of paddy. This is based on a 
10 % reduction for machine expenses,^/*., a yield of 66 catties of 
rice per pikul of paddy. In some cases if properly handled the yield 
may be greater. To this remuneration must be added the value of 
th e pollard or residuum which finds a ready sale amongst Chinese 
for feeding pigs, poultry, etc. 
The hulling machine is also a production of the Engleburg Huller 
Co. and is called the “Engleburg Huller and Polisher ” of which 
I can speak in the highest terms. The paddy being run into the 
hopper of the machine, falls on to a cylinder which revolves at a 
high speed and most effectually “hulls” — that is, rubs off the 
cuticle or outer skin and polishes the grain in one operation. The 
machine is capable of giving two tons of dressed rice per day. 
To this we have added a grader which is worked and fed automa- 
tically from the “huller” above. 
Is it worth while to grow rice as a “ catch crop ” ? I can only 
judge from our short experience here and the answer is in the 
affirmative. We haye no occasion to import any rice now having 
more than sufficient until the next crop comes in and the surplus 
finds a ready sale locally. It will be understood that in being able 
to supply a good rice at a cheap rate is some help in getting and 
keeping coolies which perhaps is of more importance in an isolated 
position such as this, than in more favoured districts as regards 
labour and communications. 
I have refrained from making any remarks as to the method and 
season of planting as this has been so often touched upon, but 
Wn.7 
