WEIGHING AND BULKING OF INDIAN TEAS. 273 



even then. More or less moisture is always to be found in the London 

 atmosphere, particularly in rainy weather, and there can be no 

 question that incalculable injury would be done to a fine Tea by seven 

 days' exposure on the floor of a warehouse. The damage and loss 

 falls entirely on the buyer. The effects of it are not seen at once, but 

 there can be little doubt that a gradual depreciation sets in, conse- 

 quent on the absorption of moisture. No redrying process follows ; 

 the Tea is simply filled back into the chests when seven days of 

 neglect have done what mischief is possible. Is it to be wondered at 

 that samples drawn from such a break of Tea a few months after it has 

 been bulked in London will have lost all their freshness and malty 

 smell ? J. C. TAYLOR AND COLMAN. 



I have no reason to think the delay above is very 

 unusual, and I must add to the above, that when the chests 

 are closed no attempt is made even to cover the top with 

 lead, much less to resolder it. Some paper on top is all 

 attempted. I need say no more to prove that the quality 

 of Indian Teas is most seriously damaged at the Custom 

 House. 



Now as to No. 2. The loss in quantity to producer. 



The following article, which I wrote to the Indian Tea 

 Gazette in 1881, shows how invariable the loss must be : 



The loss of Tea by the mode adopted at the Custom House in 

 England is great. 



When Teas are sold at Calcutta, though the English Custom 

 House regulations do not then affect us immediately, they do so 

 indirectly. If purchasers in Calcutta gain by our Teas, they will bid 

 more ; if they loose, they will bid less. Besides, many Teas are sold 

 in London. 



To understand what follows, it is necessary to remember that 

 Garden Invoices never go to Custom House. Custom House 

 arrives at weight of Tea by weighing the package for " gross," and 

 then turning out Tea, weighing box, lead, nails, iron hooping, in fact all 

 but Tea, for " tare ;" gross weight, minus tare, is the weight of Tea they 

 demand duty on, and the weight so found by Custom House is all the 



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