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this time has a stiff trunk, and is able to stand 

 alone. 



Assam rubber is not inferior to Para, except 

 that it is not so carefully gathered, and comes dirty 

 to market. The mountain trees are the only ones 

 that produce first quality rubber. 



The Silk rubber is a tree sixty or seventy feet in 

 height, as it reaches maturity in the forests of 

 Africa. It crosses the central part of the conti- 

 nent, from east to west, the seeds wafted away 

 on the long, silky filaments that give the tree its 

 name. "Funtum" the natives call it, and the 

 scientific name is Funtumia elastic a. The trees 

 are tapped by the herringbone method, the 

 latex (milky juice), collected in hollowed-out logs, 

 and covered with palm leaves. The water is 

 absorbed by the porous wood, and the spongy 

 rubber that remains is kneaded into balls and sent 

 to market. 



In the West African forests the natives are 

 practically slaves to the agents of the company 

 that holds the concession from the government 

 that rules the district. King Leopold of Belgium 

 has been held personally responsible for much of 

 the abuse that has terrorized the blacks. 



Several different species of woody climbers of 

 the genus Landolphia, near relatives of the 



