TEA MACHINERY. 267 



in Calcutta, have consignments of the boxes, so any of your readers 

 can see them. 



In my opinion there are several advantages to be derived from 

 their use : 



1. They will help to open up new markets. The ungainly, un- 

 wieldly packages we have used hitherto are certainly detrimental, at 

 least where Indian Teas are not known. By .the use of these tin boxes 

 the sale of our Teas would, I am sure, be extended at home, and they 

 would also give great facilities for successfully introducing Indian Tea 

 into Australia, Canada, the United States, the Cape, &c. It seems 

 some Indian Tea has already been sent home in these tins, and I am 

 told it met with a ready sale, quite to 8d. per Ib. over what it would 

 have brought in chests. This is, of course, too good to last, but less 

 than one penny a Ib. increase would pay for their use. 



2. The sale of Indian Tea in India would be developed by using 

 them. 



3. The tares of these boxes is and must be exact, viz., 3 Ibs. 

 15^ oz., so only a few would be opened at the Custom House,* and 

 the great loss by the deterioration of Tea being exposed (few know 

 how great it is) would be avoided. 



4. There is no doubt Tea will keep better in transit in these boxes 

 than in our old packages. How often are the latter broken and the 

 lead torn ! This evil would be quite avoided. 



There seems to me to be but one doubtful point. The boxes 

 cannot be sent loose on board ship : how then are they to be packed ? 

 Chests holding four tin boxes were recommended, but they do not 

 smile on me. True, they might be made very light : still they would 



* The following are the numbers to be opened by the Custom House 

 regulations : 



From i to 5 .. .. i to be turned out. 



6 40 .. .. 3 



41 .. 80 .. .. 4 



81 120 .. .. 5 ,, 



i) 121 ,, 2OO .. .. 6 ,, ,, 



., 201 300 .. .. 8 ,, ,, 



301 ,,5oo .. .. 10 



501 ,, 80O .. .. 12 ,, ,, 



,, 801 and upwards .. .. 16 ,, 



This applies to packages of all sizes and kinds, if the tares are equal or 

 nearly so. If the difference in the tares are not great, an average is struck. If 

 tares are various all are turned out ! 



