The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-16

man, and in the last respect laress kite
might be employed instead of a c7ptive
balloon. Kites, indeed, should be an in
dlspensable auxiliary to a balloon equip
ment, but the advantages in their favor
are so enormous that in course of time
they will probably entirely supersede bal
looms. The only serious objection to the
employment of kites in war is the posi-
bility of lack of wind force, but practically
this is not so great difficulty as might be
imagined.
PACKING TEA BY MACHINERY.-The usual
method of packing Ceylon tea is to shovel
it into tea-chest and allow a breech-
clouted and turbaned coolie to tramp it in
with his feet No matter how skillfully
this was done. it was liable to bruise and
crush the leaf, and there was always a
greater or less proportion of dust or waste
in every chest. mechanical tea-packer
has been invented which is said to greatly
improve the standard of tea shipped. 1t
consists OF table or platform on which
the chest is to be packed secured bv
means OF self-centering right and left
hand screws or clamps and connected to
the motive power. The machine is set in
operation and very rapid vibratory or
trent bling motion is impaired to the table
which causes each scoopful of tea thrown
into the chest to settle down compactly
The tables move to and fro 1000 times in
minute. Owing to the peculiar nature of
this vibration neither the fine leaf nor the
dust separates from the coarse. and, con-
sequently If the tea has been bulked before
packing, 1t remains of a perfectly even
grade throughout the chest after being
packed with the machine. 1t is stated
that full-sized chest can easily be packed
by the apparatus in about two minutes
ana that from to per cent more tea can
he put into chest in this way without
the slightest breakage than can be packed
without injury to the leaf by any system
OF hand or foot packing.
MILITARY BICYCLING AND LEATHER
TIREs.-It has been demonstrated by ex-
periments in nearly all the European
armies that bicycle corps adds greatly to
the efficiency of a regiment, especially for
messenger and orderly service and a body
OF men fully armed and equipped can
cover long distances on wheels in remark
ably quick time. The bicycle has now been
introduced into many United States regi-
ments, and a regular drill has been or
ganized for the WITHDRAWING of soldiers.
hint worth considering is found in the
report OF the bicycle corps OF the French
army. The military workshop of Pu-
teaux. in France, is turning out
leather tires for the army cycles
in place of rubber ones, which are
difficult to repair when they break down.
Leather tires can be sewn without much
trouble by the cyclist or a neighboring
shoemaker. Moreover they are lighter
than rubber, and less apt to slip on wet
pavements or asphalt.
PoTAToEs AS FORAGE FOR CATTLE.-The
French Government Agricultural Depart
ment, after experimenting with potatoes
as forage for cattle, finds that the tubers
are first-rate food, whether from the point
of view of fattening or the yield of milk
and butter. Sheep and oxen throve much
better on potatoes and hay than on their
ordinary food and their flesh was found
to be superior in quality. These facts are
worthy the attention of agricultursts,
especially those of granite lands, where
forage is poor.