WEIGHING AND BULKING OF INDIAN TEAS. 275 



But again, by rule quoted, it is written by Customs 

 Ibs. 



Gross 133 



Tare (deducted) ... 37 



Actual Tea paid for ... 96 pounds, on which duty is also paid. 



Therefore the loss on chest is 2 ounces only. 



Now did weights turn out the same in London that they were on 

 the garden, we could, by doing as in last example, insure only the 

 above trifling 2 ounce loss. But it is not so. The wood dries and 

 thus makes both the gross and tare less. The loss then comes out 

 anything between 2 ounces and i pound 14 ounces. 



I find the following simple rule will give the exact loss on each 

 and every weight of both gross and tare. 



Rule. Add the ounces above a pound in the gross to the ounces 

 short of a pound in the tare. The sum of the two, in ounces, will be 

 the loss of Tea on the package. 



This is only part of the article. I break off here to add 

 a few remarks more appropriate now than what I then 

 wrote. 



There are means by which this varying loss, of which 

 the maximum is i pound 14 ounces, can be reduced to 4 

 ounces only on each and every chest. 



I admit the procedure is scarcely practical, but as 

 nothing can demonstrate better the absurdity of the system 

 as pursued at the Customs, I give it here. 



How can we insure the least loss, taking into considera- 

 tion the fact that the weights of both the gross and tare, 

 because of the wood drying and lightening in transit, can 

 never come out the same at the Custom House in London 

 as they were on the garden. 



We can do it thus : the Tea if well packed in a chest 

 in no way alters in weight during transit. If dry, when put 

 up, it cannot become lighter ; if the leaden covering is air- 

 tight, it can absorb no moisture, which would of course 



