240 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February 1, 1914. 



The Editor's Book Table. 



RUBBER AND RUBBF.R PLANTING. BV K. II. LOCK, SC. D. 

 New York, 1913. G. P. Putnam's Sons. (Cloth, 8vo, 245 pages.] 



IN his endeavor to make his book suitable for as wide a cir- 

 cle of readers as possible, Dr. Lock has combined the sci- 

 j- ence of rubber planting with general information of use 

 to the prospective planter. His experience as .Assistant Di- 



Hevea Rubber on .Swami-v Land. 



rector of the Botanic Gardens, Ceylon, has been of value to 

 him in the preparation of this volume, wdiich embraces a de- 

 scription of the planting, harvesting and manufacturing work 

 involved in bringing rubber from the field to the consumer. 

 Starting with the botany of rubber, and the physiology of 

 latex production, Dr. Lock deals with tapping and other 

 points connected with harvesting operations. This leads up 

 to a description of factory work on the estate, including the 

 transport of latex, coagulation, washing, drying, creping, 

 smoking and smoke-curing. Dr. Lock remarks that planta- 

 tion rubber comes on the market as biscuit, sheet, crepe and 

 block, any of these forms being either smoked or unsmoked, 

 and the unsmoked varieties differing much in color. The 

 thickness and other characteristics of the various types differ 



thus militating against uniformity of product. On the other 

 hand, similar grades of rubber, produced on different estates 

 and from trees of different ages, appear to differ considerably 

 in strength and resiliency. A chapter is devoted to the pests- 

 and diseases of Ilcvca, including insects, fungus and root dis- 

 eases, as well as other troubles of this nature. 



While Hcvea Brasiliensis is recognized as the plantation tree 

 ^iir exccUcnce, the merits of other varieties are likewise dis- 

 cussed in a special chapter, the final section of the work deal- 

 ing with the manufacture and vulcanization of rubber goods. 



Dr. Lock has assembled a large number of facts bearing on 

 tile cultivation, preparation and manufacture of rubber, in 

 such condensed form as to be suitable for tlie general reader 



I'uKtST ScEiNE, Shi A' 



1 l.\Rii I' AKA Rubber. 



very considerably, and, it is added, reflect the indecision of 

 manufacturers as to what is best united to tlieir requirements. 



Hcz'ca Rubber and Tea. 



as well as for the trained rubber expert. Twenty-two photo- 

 graphs serve to illustrate the text, a few of which are repro- 

 duced. 



TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL 

 Engineers: Vol. V, 1912. illustrated. Published by the Institute an<t 

 for sale by D. Van Nostrand Co., New York. [Cloth, Svo, 284 pages. 

 Price si-\- dollars.] 



-As the combined result of expert investi.gations by almost 

 a score of scientists noted in their respective branches, the 

 "Transactions" of the above-named association contain a 

 number of interesting papers. In dealing with the question 

 lit industrial efficiency, Mr, Wm. M. Booth remarks that the 

 chemical engineer can only take his legitimate place when 

 he can transpose the symbols of the chemist to the dol- 

 lars, cents and percentages of the business world. The high- 

 est type of his endeavor is connected with the invention and 

 perfecting of new processes, later on establishing useful indus- 

 tries, which may attract capitalists of ability, courage and 

 means to embark in such new enterprises. Not less impor- 

 tant is the introduction of economies in processes already es- 

 tablished. 



Statistics of the capital invested in the L'nited States in 

 manufacturing show an advance from $533,245,000 in 1850, 

 with 957,059 employes, to $18,428,270,000 in 1910, with 6,615,- 

 046 hands. This gain is largely due to the improved processes 

 introduced by the expert chemical engineer. At the same 

 time, consulting engineers can often render essential service 

 by disapproving the proposed purchase of equipments which 

 a concern has never needed and should not buy. 



In direct connection with this application of industrial effi- 

 ciency, it is of interest to note, from the paper of Professot 



