CH. XIII] INDIARUBBER, GUTTAPERCHA, AND CAMPHOR 127 



rubbers simply represents the fact that there is more rubber in 

 a pound, and if the relative prices be calculated out, it will be 

 found that they are really getting a lower price, for 8 Ibs. of 

 cultivated rubber are equal to 10 Ibs. of wild Amazon rubber in 

 the amount of rubber or caoutchouc contained, while the latter 

 sell at 410 pence against 378 pence for the former, at present 

 rates. 



Careful comparison of the two rubbers at the Rubber 

 Exhibition held in Ceylon in 1906 convinced the writer that 

 the cultivated rubber was very much lacking in resiliency as 

 compared with fine Para rubber from the Amazon, and the next 

 question was how was this greater resiliency to be obtained. 

 The great difference between the two being that the wild 

 rubber contained about 15% of water, while the cultivated 

 only contained 0*45 / Qt the obvious thing to do was to try what 

 effect the leaving in of the water would have. Some experi- 

 ments were immediately put in hand by Mr Bamber, the 

 Government Chemist, and biscuits were compressed without 

 drying into blocks, by means of a hydraulic press. The reports 

 on this entirely novel form of rubber from Europe have been 

 favourable but we have not yet solved the problem of the 

 difference in quality between wild and plantation rubbers. 



With the enormous area already planted in rubber in 

 the countries with cheap labour, it is evident, that if the 

 cultivated rubber can be turned out as strong, and much more 

 clean, than the wild, a formidable competition is springing 

 up. Already there is enough planted to supply about one 

 half of the consumption. When the price falls from the 

 present figure of about 4s. to say 2s. 6d, the countries like 

 Africa will have to go to the wall, while the Eastern countries 

 of cheap labour will still be able to make a profit on the 

 cultivation. 



Para rubber is a strictly equatorial cultivation, and grows 

 within about 10 of the equator, and up to a level of about 

 2500 feet above the sea, though that at high elevations does 

 not grow nearly so rapidly as that in the plains at sea level. It 

 is planted out at distances apart of 10 to 25 feet, and wants 

 plenty of rainfall and good drainage ; trees planted in undrained 



