The Cultivation and Manufacture of TeaMoney, Edward
Science
The Cultivation and Manufacture of Tea
Money, Edward
Tea
This concludes my remarks on Tea machinery; but I shall not have a more
appropriate place than this to mention the ornamental tin boxes devised
by Messrs. Harvey Bros. and Tyler, as a new mode of packing Teas. The
following is an article of mine on the subject to the _Tea Gazette_,
written in 1880:--
I saw lately tin Tea boxes made to hold 20 lbs., which are
manufactured by Messrs. Harvey Brothers and Tyler, 21, Mincing Lane.
I was much pleased with them, for I foresaw that by their use great
good to the Indian Tea industry would accrue. I went to Mincing Lane,
and had a long talk with the firm, and came away convinced that the
fact of the said boxes should be known far and wide in India.
The boxes measure 15-3/4 by 10 15/16ths by 10 5/16ths. They are
handsomely illustrated with Indian Tea plantation subjects.[104]
Each piece runs into a groove in the adjoining one, so that one
minute will put a box together, and a touch of solder here and there
completes it; they are then perfectly air-tight. The boxes are very
sightly. Price is now 2_s._ 5_d._ per box. Boxes sent to Calcutta
up to this have been charged 2_s._ 7_d._ The price is dependent on
the fluctuating price of tin, which is somewhat lower now. Of course
they are sent out in pieces. Cases holding pieces for 100 boxes weigh
4 cwt. The firm tell me that Messrs. Schœne, Kilburn and Co., and
Messrs. Begg, Dunlop and Co., in Calcutta, have consignments of the
boxes, so any of your readers can see them.
In my opinion there are several advantages, to be derived from their
use:--
1. They will help to open up new markets. The ungainly, unwieldly
packages we have used hitherto are certainly detrimental, at least
where Indian Teas are not known. By the use of these tin boxes the
sale of our Teas would, I am sure, be extended at home, and they
would also give great facilities for successfully introducing Indian
Tea into Australia, Canada, the United States, the Cape, &c. It seems
some Indian Tea has already been sent home in these tins, and I am
told it met with a ready sale, quite to 8_d._ per lb. over what it
would have brought in chests. This is, of course, too good to last,
but less than one penny a lb. increase would pay for their use.
2. The sale of Indian Tea in India would be developed by using them.
3. The tares of these boxes is and must be exact, viz., 3 lbs. 15-1/2
oz., so only a few would be opened at the Custom House,[105] and the
great loss by the deterioration of Tea being exposed (few know _how_
great it is) would be avoided.
4. There is no doubt Tea will keep better in transit in these boxes
than in our old packages. How often are the latter broken and the
lead torn! This evil would be quite avoided.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account