RUBBER 121 



pressure on at first, increasing it the second and 

 third times. In this way sheets of uniform width 

 and thickness may be obtained. 



The bark parings are also dealt with by the 

 crepeing machine. Full pressure is put on, and 

 the machine fed with the bark, a full stream of 

 water running over it at the same time. The 

 rollers crush the bark, and the water washes away 

 the particles, while the strands of Eubber hang 

 together. The mass is put through the machine 

 time after time until sufficiently free of bark. It 

 is then spread out to dry. When partly dry, if 

 put again through the rollers, it is made into tough 

 sheets, and has a very presentable appearance. 



Drying should take place in a darkened room. 

 The long sheets of Rubber are easily hung over 

 rods, and take up little space. Natural drying 

 takes two months. Where production is sufficiently 

 large, artificial drying is practised, but as it will 

 be several years before this stage is reached in 

 Uganda, this method of drying need not be dis- 

 cussed here. 



Smoking is practised to a large extent with 

 plantation Para, but there appears to be no certain 

 advantage in treating it thus. At one Rubber 



