97 



any type or design of machine he wants, and any pattern of grooving 

 cut on heavy rollers and sheet-making machines. The plant on this 

 estate consists of a 50 B, H.-P. " Mirrlees-Diesel " engine with a 

 40 B. H.-P. " Crossley " engine in reserve, a " Universal " washer, 

 three new type Shaw's heavy machines, two Shaw's hand or 

 power sheeting-machines, and three old type Shaw's heavy 

 machines. Approximately, 300,000 lbs. are treated in the course of 

 a year and it will be seen that we are practically insured against a 

 stoppage caused by a break-down to any one engine or machine. 



The floor of each building should be of good clean cement and 

 immediately under and near the rollers white tiles are an aid 

 to cleanliness. 



PREPARATION OF RIBBED SMOKED SHEET. 



I take this grade first as it seems to have finally established 

 itself as the most convenient form in which to turn out No. 1 latex, 

 and is made on nearly every estate. It is not essential to have 

 expensive machinery to deal with it, and small estates can make 

 smoked sheet with the bulk of their crop without a heavy capital 

 outlay. It thus justifies its position as first favourite with planters 

 generally. It is also the most interesting grade to make, as so much 

 depends on attention to detail, and neglect of any kind is very 

 apparent in the finished article, though it may possibly pass 

 unnoticed when the sheet leaves the marking-machine. Perfection 

 is more difficult to attain in smoked sheet than in any form of crepe, 

 because nothing can be done to rectify any mistake at any time 

 during the process of curing. You cannot tear out a piece of bark 

 or grit from a sheet in the same way as in pale crepe without 

 ruining the appearance of the sheet ; you cannot roll it smooth again 

 once it has got torn in the rollers without leaving an ugly mark; 

 you cannot get rid of bubbles once the coagulation has set ; " rust " 

 remains for good after the first day's drying, and no amount of 

 scrubbing and washing will rid you of dust or ash which has got on 

 to the sheet before it has a film of smoke over it. 



These defects all have their value when the manufacturer's 

 representative has a look at the rubber in the broker's show-room, 

 and a penny a pound less than the best is a serious thing over a 

 year's production from any estate. It is, roughly, $6,000 on a crop of 

 200,000 lbs. as much as the manager's salary for the year probably. 

 Most of the well-found estates are now turning out smoked sheet of 

 a high standard, but one has only to look at the range of prices 

 quoted in the brokers' sale reports to see that some estates at least 

 are not getting the best they can. I have been round show-rooms in 

 Singapore with some of the leading American buyers, and they are 

 very emphatic about their requirements in standard smoked sheet. 

 It must be clean, strong, thoroughly smoked, uniform in appearance, 

 and give the same results under vulcanization in the same time in 



