804 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



In the operation of collecting the juice several cuts are made through 

 the bark of the tree, and either shells or clay vessels are attached to 

 receive the exuding milky sap. When sufficient of this has been col- 

 lected, the operation of drying it is performed as follows : A kind of 



Fig. 1. Hevea Uuiajmensis (Floweu and Foliage). 



wooden bat, thinly covered over with clay, is dipped into a pail filled 

 w T ith the juice, and the bat, thus coated, is held over a fire, fed with 

 certain wild nuts, which, in burning, give off abundance of aromatic 

 smoke. Fig. 2 represents this operation, and you will see that a kind 



