107 



" My experience is that quite apart from all questions of 

 strength, the question of the vulcanizing properties of plantation 

 rubber is the greatest trouble tjie manufacturer has to face. 

 Without efficient control, faulty vulcanization undoubtedly will be 

 responsible for loss of time and money. These troubles, in factories 

 where scientific control is not thoroughly organized, may be sufficient 

 to condemn the use of this grade (that is plantation rubber, B. J. E.) 

 entirely." 



Since that date we have travelled far in our knowledge of the 

 vagaries of this wonderful substance and one can say it, with a 

 certain amount of pride, without being egotistical, that the 

 Agricultural Department of the Fedei"ated Malay States has had the 

 honour and good fortune of contributing the most important and 

 fundamental researches on the problem. 



The above remarks by Mr. Williams, constitute the first 

 intimation from the manufacturer of the. nature of the variability of 

 plantation rubber. These remarks were confirmed at the same 

 Congress by Dr. Schidrowitz in a paper entitled " Variability " in 

 which figures for numerous cases of such variability were published. 

 Independently, later in 1914, our early researches led to the same 

 conclusions ; since which we have been able to discover the cause or 

 causes of the variability and many of the contributing factors in 

 connection with estate factory practice which have an influence on 

 variability. 



It can therefoi-e in the first place be enunciated that the 

 principal defect of the plantation product is its variable behaviour 

 during vulcanization, or to put it in the technical terms used by the 

 rubber manufacturer, variability in I'ate of cure or speed of 

 vulcanization. 



The remedy, i.e., the method of obtaining uniformity in this 

 respect, can only be attained after a realization of the cause, and the 

 great aim of scientific research is to connect cause and effect in the 

 world of nature. It may however be argued logically, assuming 

 that variability is due chiefly or entirely to methods of preparation 

 rather than to intrinsic differences in the latex on different estates 

 or from different areas or districts, that uniform methods of 

 preparation will ensure unifoi'mity of product, but evea so, we are at 

 much greater advantage if we possess a knowledge of the cause, 

 since it may then be essential only to adopt uniform methods in one 

 or two respects. Secondly a knowledge of the cause of variability 

 will enable us possibly to prepare an improved type of the raw 

 product, having realized that our existing methods are entirely 

 empirical and like " Topsy " have merely " grown." 



Fortunately a knowledge of the cause of variability deduced 

 from our researches, enables us to state that variable methods of 

 preparation are chiefly, if not entirely responsible for variability of 



