PACKING. 147 



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. 1 



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 fastening 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. 



Thin iron hooping, put round both ends of the boxes, much 

 increases their strength, and is not expensive. 2 



Stamp each box on its lid and on one end. 3 Use for this 



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



* This should, except the lid part, be put on the boxes before the Tea is packed. 



3 The object of stamping the end, as well as the lid, is that when the boxes 

 are piled one above the other the mark can be read. 



L 2 





