Yours truly,
Kol Mistry.
Before going to press I received drawing and description of “Thompson’s Challenge Roller.” It is impossible to judge of its merits by the drawing, but some very strong testimonials are appended—one much in its favour from Mr. Ansell, the Tea engineer above mentioned. By the testimonials (more than one from men I know) the following advantages appear to have been obtained:—
- “Balling” of the leaf is avoided.
- The tips are kept quite bright.
- Heating prevented.
- Simplicity of “feed” and “discharge.”
- One attendant, a minimum of motive power, and low priced.
- A good twist attained.
- Simplicity in the machine, and ease of transport and erection.
If all the above are facts, I quite think the “Challenge” will prove a great success.
The following, written by me to the Tea Gazette, may be worth the attention of Tea-rolling machine inventors:—
Suggestions for Improving the Drums and the Faces of the Rollers in Tea Rolling Machinery.
Sir,—The following idea, suggested to me by a planter up here, may be practicable or not, but in any case it is worth letting the patentees of Tea-rolling machines know it.
In days gone by when iron worked in contact with iron on the faces of rollers the colour of the outturn (that is the infused Tea leaves) was quite destroyed. That is now remedied, but there is still an evil of less importance. The wood on the said faces of the rollers absorbs the sap of the leaf, and unless they are washed very clean, the said old sap is apt to contaminate, more or less, the new leaf. Could not this be rectified by making the faces of the rollers of porcelain or iron (like camp crockery) and the drums of opaque coarse glass? Both these, if they would stand, could easily be washed quite clean.