Kinmond’s Dryer is, in our opinion, the best Tea Dryer machine yet invented. Space forbids our describing it minutely (besides, only those, and they are few, who understand Tea machinery would appreciate our description), but its general features we will shortly touch on. In the comparatively small space it occupies in a factory, and in the large quantity of work it does in a given time, we think it unrivalled. This last feature does away with the necessity of night-work, which, apart from other drawbacks, is prejudicial to the excellence of Tea, because, among other reasons, its colour cannot then be appreciated in its several stages. Tea made at night is never very good. With sufficient motive power, sufficient rolling machinery, and Kinmond’s Dryers, the factory (let the leaf gathered be what it may) can be shut up at dark. Kinmond’s Dryer may yet be improved upon by himself or by others, but as it now stands it possesses a feature peculiar to itself, and all important. The hot air, driven by a fan (the speed of which, under control, regulates the temperature), does not pass successively through the different trays, for the hot air, drying the Tea in each tray, has a separate inlet and outlet. By this means is avoided the objection of carrying the moisture absorbed by the hot air from one tray to the other. Another peculiarity in the machine is, that the same air is used again and again, being re-dried and re-heated each time. By this two advantages are obtained: (1) fuel is saved, it is easier to heat air which still retains caloric than fresh air; (2) the aroma of Tea is very volatile, and when hot air, which dries it, passes away, some of the essence and strength of the Tea goes with it. But here the same air being used again and again, the volatile essence (how much who can say?) is returned to the Tea. It is reasonable to suppose that this will increase the value of the Tea; indeed, we know it did so materially in one garden last season. We do not doubt that the unanimity wanting at present amongst planters as regards machinery will more or less come with time, but only long experience can settle the merits of rival machinery. One thing, however, is very certain--if the exports of Indian Tea ever vie in quantity with China, it will be due to the use of machinery in manufacture. I may state that Kinmond and some other inventors of Dryers claim for them that in wet weather green leaf may be withered by their means. But, as I stated some pages back, I do not think any Dryers suitable for withering. _That_ machine has yet to be invented. To conclude my remarks on dryers, I give (again from the _Tea Gazette_) an estimate of the cost of drying by the old primitive mode with charcoal, and with machines. There was no signature to the letter. I cannot say if the figures assumed are quite correct, but in any case the machines have much the best of it:--