CHAPTER XV. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE OF THE OIL IN HEVEA 

 SEEDS. 



IN addition to supplying the market with the finest quality of 

 rubber, cultivators of Hevea brasiliensis will be in a position to 

 compete in that enormous market which provides the world 

 with vegetable oils. 



The oleaginous nature of the seeds of this tree is well known, 

 but an experiment has quite recently been made at the Imperial 

 Institute to ascertain their commercial value as oil producers. 



The difficulties of collecting these seeds in the Amazonian 

 forest, together with the expenses of transporting them to the 

 sea coast, would no doubt prevent the collection of the seeds 

 from the wild trees being made a remunerative undertaking. 

 But on a plantation these obstacles could be much more easily 

 overcome. 



About 150 decorticated fresh seeds weigh a pound, which is 

 about 340,000 to the ton. It is estimated that a Para tree 

 produces on an average 400 seeds per year, so that about a 

 quarter of a ton would be produced per acre. The seed kernels 

 contain 50 per cent, of oil. 



For the following paragraphs I am indebted to the Imperial 

 Institute Bulletin : 



A considerable amount of activity has been displayed within 

 the last few years in tropical countries in the cultivation of 

 various kinds of rubber trees, in order to meet the growing 

 demand for rubber in the arts. In the Federated Malay States 

 large areas have thus been planted with the Para rubber tree 

 (Hevea brasiliensis}, and it has become necessary to find a 

 method of utilising the large quantities of seeds now produced 

 in these plantations. Several consignments of these seeds and 

 of meal prepared from them have been received recently at the 

 Imperial Institute from the Assistant Superintendent of Forests 



