150 CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF TEA. 



Keep it in the sun, or over the charcoal, until it is hot 

 throughout, hot enough to ensure all the moisture having 

 been driven off. Then put into the box enough to about 

 one-quarter fill it. Now let two men rock the box, over a 

 half-inch round iron bar, placed on the ground, until the 

 Tea has well settled. Then place a piece of carpet over 

 the Tea, the exact size of the box, and let a man stand 

 inside and press it down a minute or two with his feet. 

 Now fill up nearly another quarter, and press it again over 

 the carpet as before. Repeat this, putting less and less 

 into the box each time, as you near the top, until it is quite 

 full, but do not rock it at all the last two or three times, 

 only press it with the feet as described. No patent screw 

 press, or anything else, will pack the Tea better or more 

 closely than this plan, and when the men are practised 

 at it, you will find there will not be a difference of more 

 than two or three Ibs. in the Teas of any one kind put into 

 the boxes.* 



The box full, just even with the top, and well pressed 

 down to the last, lay over the Tea a piece of the silver 

 paper, which is found inserted between each sheet in the 

 lead boxes. This prevents any solder or resin getting on 

 the Tea when soldering the top. Now fit on the lead sheet 

 top, solder, and nail on the wooden lid. 



Weight of Tea in each box. The boxes ready lined, with 

 a lead cover loose, must be all weighed before the Tea is 

 packed, and again after they are filled and soldered down, 

 but before the wooden lid is put on. The difference of these 

 weights, minus the weight of the little solder used in fasten- 

 ing down the top lead (for which allow say one pound to 

 give a margin also), will be the net weight of Tea in each 

 box. 



* It is not essential that the same quantity of Tea shall be in each box. 



