Tea machinery is still so much in its infancy that the best machines are likely to be improved upon, and perhaps superseded by others, but as things are now, I think, though some do not agree with me, that Jackson has carried off the palm in rollers.
The following two letters on rollers appeared in the Tea Gazette, and are well worth attention:—
Kinmond’s Improved Patent Double Action Tea Rolling Machine.
Sir,—You have so repeatedly asked planters to supply you with information regarding “Tea machinery” that it is a matter of surprise to me you have not been flooded with letters on the subject. I know very little about Tea machinery, as I am not an engineer, but I gladly contribute my quota of knowledge on the subject. I have been rolling leaf for some time past in one of Kinmond’s old machines, styled his “Improved Patent Double Action Tea Rolling Machine.” A machine for fine leaf I do not believe there is in existence. I have seen several machines at work on different factories, and I should say for fine leaf this machine of Kinmond’s cannot be beat.[97] A few improvements could no doubt be made, and I feel sure Mr. Kinmond himself is aware of this, and is quite competent to make them. I have seen Mr. Kinmond’s “Compound Action Centrifugal” at work. I do not consider it a success. It certainly cannot hold a candle to his “Patent Double Action.” I would strongly recommend Mr. Kinmond to improve the latter, and forego the former, unless he can make some very material alterations to it. The roll from the “Centrifugal” comes out hot and flat, whereas that from his “Patent Double Action” is turned out not only perfectly cool, but has a perfect twist.[98] For coarse leaf, Jackson’s “Excelsior” is a splendid machine. I should say a factory could not want two better machines than one of Kinmond’s “Patent Double Action” and one of Jackson’s “Excelsior” Rollers—the former for fine, the latter for coarse leaf. Will some of my brother planters kindly give their experience, and thus further enlighten an anxious
Enquirer.
Tea Rolling Machinery.
Dear Sir,—I will be glad if some of your numerous readers will kindly furnish results of trials, or of experience, of Kinmond’s Compound Action Centrifugal Tea Rolling Machine. I have tried it repeatedly, and find it not only heats the green leaf a great deal too much, but in addition cuts, I may say into mincemeat, about 5% of the leaf in the process of rolling. I am not an engineer, and therefore cannot state for certain where the fault lies, but I fancy the ribs of the two revolving plates are somewhat at fault. If they were broader and bolder, the machine might, perhaps, be a better success. The green leaf does not come out sufficiently rolled. The major portion of the roll is too flat. Perhaps Mr. Kinmond will kindly help by giving a hint or two to a perplexed Tea-house
“Assistant.”
Haworth’s Roller.—This machine was invented long ago. The leaf is placed in bags and so rolled. In some respects the machine resembles a mangle. It has not been largely used, and thus is not much known. I have no personal experience of its worth, but have heard much of it from an old friend of mine, Mr. Carter, of the Chandpore Tea Estate, Chittagong. He has, I believe, had one from the first on his plantation, and thinks very well of it. Mr. Carter is a first-rate judge on all Tea matters. He conducted some experiments to test the value of Tea rolled by Jackson’s and Haworth’s Rollers, and did it with great care, that the quality of leaf, the withering, the drying, all but the two modes of rolling should be exactly the same. The samples were then sent to Calcutta and valued. Results as below:—
Messrs. Carritt and Co.’s report on the samples is dated Calcutta, 29th October, 1881, viz.:—