64 Packing and Despatching. 



according to the boiling and colour list sent up by 

 the Calcutta agents ; each cake is carefully fitted in 

 close to its neighbour in rows in the box or chest, 

 so as to avoid shaking and consequent damage to 

 the dry cakes. Native masons are generally, if not 

 always, employed for this process, as they are more 

 accustomed to handling that kind of work in build- 

 ing and bricklaying. 



A large average of pieces in the packing is to be 

 most strenuously avoided, as it is a very " bad mark " 

 on a factory, and argues carelessness and want of 

 supervision. 



After packing, the chests are carefully weighed 

 and the contents noted ; they are then closed, screwed 

 down, and re-trimmed all over, and marked ; they 

 are then again re-weighed and a close calculation 

 made of actual contents, and are despatched by boat 

 or cart to the railway station, and thence by rail to 

 Calcutta. 



The wood should be mango at least a year old ; 

 and the boxes should be kept for one year, as the 

 effect of using unseasoned boxes is to cause a differ- 

 ence in the weighment at factory, at Calcutta, and, 

 again, at London. 



The tare of the boxes should be always carefully 

 ascertained by the Manager or his European Assistant 



