Whether you use sun or charcoal, put the Tea hot into the boxes. The only object of the final drying is to drive off the moisture, which the Tea will certainly, in a more or less degree, have imbibed since its manufacture. Even the large zinc-lined bins which should be fitted up in all Tea stores, and in which the Tea is placed after manufacture, will not entirely prevent damp, so in all cases a final drying is necessary.
Keep it in the sun, or over the charcoal, until it is hot throughout, hot enough to ensure all the moisture having been driven off. Then put into the box enough to about one-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 lbs. in the Teas of any one kind put into the boxes.[58]
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.[59]
Stamp each box on its lid and on one end.[60] Use for this zinc plates, with the necessary marks cut out in them. A brush run over these with the colouring matter does the work well and quickly.
Let the stamp comprise the kind of Tea, the plantation or owner’s mark, the number of the box, and the year; for instance—
