January 1. 1914. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



183 



The Editor's Book Table. 



CAOUTCHOUC (INDIA RUBBER), BY UK. A. J. ULTIii;, UIKICCTOR 

 of the Bczoekisch TcstiilR Station at Ujembc;!-. Ilaaiiem. 1913; II. D. 

 Tjcenkt VVillink & Zoon. [Paper, 8vo., 93 pages, with 58 illustrations.] 



THIS Iiaiidy volume forms one of the scries of twelve popular 

 iumdlioolss dealing with the agricultural products of llie 

 Xclherland Indies in course of publication under the editor- 

 ihip of Dr. J. Dckker, director of the Dutch Colonial Museum. 

 After an introduction of historical character Dr. Ultee suc- 

 cessively treats: The cultivation of lievca Brasilicnsis : insects 

 and pests; tapping; preparation; Ficus claslica : applications. 

 Under the section of licrca the first subject treated is climate 

 and soil. The necessary conditions, it is remarked, are realized 

 in various tropical countries, cspecial'y in .Malacca, Sumatra and 



llci-ca Trees Seven Years Old. 



some parts of Java, where the growth of rubber is not less 

 productive than in Brazil. The details of clearing next claim 

 attention, followed by a full discussion of the various questions 

 afifecting planting and the care of rubber trees. Catch-crops 

 meet with detailed consideration, with diagrams illustrating the 

 coiubination of Robusta coffee and Hcvca. The intermediate 

 system of culture originated at the time when some uncertainty 

 was felt as to the future results of Hcz'ea, and when it was 

 desired to secure an alternative crop. 



Insects and plagiles are next treated, followed by a chapter on 

 tapping in which the details of that process as well as the utensils 

 employed arc fully discussed. Preparation of rubljer is then 

 taken up, including coagulation, drying and packing. 



I-'ollowing the rubber to its ultimate applications, tlie subjects 

 of vulcanizing, regeneration, substitutes, synthetic rubber and 

 manufactured rulilier articles are successively gone into in detail. 



As affording a nuantity of valuable information about rubber. 

 Dr. Ultee's work will be appreciated by many people in the 

 Netherlands who arc interested in this subject. 



Many of the 58 illustrations are highly effective, and three of 

 them are here reproduced. In one of them is shown a plantation 

 of Ilcrca trees which have attained the age of 7 years, while 





Tapping a T'ive-Vear-Old Hcvea. 



another represents tile tapping of a 5-ycar-old Ilcvca, with the 

 tapper engaged in the operation. .\ third illustration shows the 



Purific.\tion and Coacl'lation of Latex. 



further progress of the rubber toward a marketable stage by 

 purification and coagulation. 



