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The block is put on a wooden table with a sloping" leaf, 

 so that the water flows off; it is rolled out by 

 hand with a wooden roller; the greater part of the 

 water is thus eliminated and the block changes its 

 shape. This piece is again passed two or three times 

 through a couple of rollers. When small quantities only 

 have to be dealt with, an ordinary wooden mangling 

 roll may be used, but a rolling machine is necessary 

 for handling large quantities. The distance between the 

 rolls is continually reduced so that the sheet becomes 

 gradually thinner and thinner. Machines are used with 

 engraved rollers so that the pattern is transferred to 

 the rubber sheet ; in this way diamond sheet is obtained. 



The sheets are then dried and smoked, the latter 

 process being adopted in order to protect them against 

 fungus with which they are often covered. The smoking 

 establishment consists of a drying house of one story; 

 in the top room, the sheets are hung up, and below is 

 a fire-place with a smouldering fire of cocoanut shells, 

 dead wood, etc. No damp material must be used for 

 this fire; otherwise, moisture would be deposited on the 

 rubber to its detriment. Square openings are made in 

 the floor of the t6p room under the places where the 

 rubber is hung so that the smoke can enter freely. 



In the Botanic Gardens at Singapore, I saw small 

 furnaces in use, for the smoking process. On the floor 

 of the drying house, round holes are made, which are 

 covered with fire-proof stone fitted with a funnel-shaped 

 pipe; the tapering part of the pipe finishes in an en- 

 largement, in which holes are left open in order to allow 

 the smoke to pass. In the lower part there is a hole in 

 the pipe to feed the fire. 



