RUBBER 



275 



A tapper usually has about three hundred trees placed under 

 his care, and every morning at sunrise he goes round to them 

 and cuts off a very, very thin slice from the upper edge of each 

 of the side-cuts. 



Manufacture of Rubber. On reaching the factory the latex 

 is strained and poured into trays : a small amount of acetic 



DRYING AND PACKING RUBBER 



acid is added to it. After twelve hours or so it has curdled and 

 become white and soft like cream cheese. It is next passed 

 under rollers, which press it together and squeeze out the water ; 

 it emerges firm and elastic. 



Drying is the next operation. The sheets of rubber are put 

 into a shed full of the smoke from dried coco-nut husks. 

 Rubber prepared in this way is called Smoked Sheet Rubber. 

 It is dark in colour. 



Often, however, the latex is curdled in large quantities and 

 then passed under heavy rollers, which press it out into long 



S2 



