198 THE RUBBER TREE BOOK 



endeavouring to secure absolute regularity without sacrificing 

 a considerable proportion by reducing it a grade. This is a 

 matter which is well worthy of care and attention from estate 

 managers. 



When well cleansed and well manufactured the second- 

 grade rubber can although of inferior colour be brought up 

 to quite a high degree of perfection, so that the prices realized 

 are only a very few pence less than for first-grade. To secure 

 as high a standard as possible for this grade of rubber is well 

 worth striving for. 



Scrap-rubber can be kept down to quite small proportions 

 by good oversight in the tapping rounds. To save an undue 

 number of grades the bark-shaving rubber might be amalga- 

 mated with this once it has been well worked up and cleansed 

 and so might the cup-washings and skimmings. 



Two factors affect the proportion of bark-shaving rubber. 

 First, are the bark-shavings well collected? This, of course, 

 should be seen to by the assistants superintending tapping. 

 The second point, which has a very obvious bearing on the pro- 

 portion of bark-shaving rubber, is the method of tapping em- 

 ployed and the number of cuts made. If on one estate there 

 are only two cuts or three cuts made on the trees as against six, 

 seven or more cuts made elsewhere to obtain a similar amount of 

 latex, it is evident that the proportion of bark-shaving rubber 

 is likely to be quite double in the latter case what it is in the 

 former. It is not a matter over which good factory manage- 

 ment has any control, yet it affects the relative proportions of 

 all the grades of rubber to each other. 



If one takes as a standard to work up to or excel the follow- 

 ing proportions of each grade of rubber, one will not go far 

 astray : 



First -latex rubber 80 per cent. 



vSecond grade ,, 15 



Third 5 



100 



This is admittedly a very high standard to set and scarcely 

 attainable by any but very large, well-organized establish- 



