RUBBER 677 



not only entails more expense, but is likely to still further 

 deteriorate the rubber on account of the extra milling 

 it must undergo. 



A parchment or waterproof paper, which will not adhere 

 to the rubber during its transport, is required for the 

 purpose, 



Concluding Remarks. 



Although this paper has touched briefly on the various 

 methods which should be adopted in the coagulation of 

 the latex and the preparation of the rubber from the 

 Para rubber tree, it does not pretend in any way to be 

 the final word on this interesting problem, nor has it 

 been possible to discuss in it any theory which may form 

 the basis of the differences between the " ne plus ultra " 

 product of the industry, viz., Fine Hard Para, and the 

 various grades of plantation Para rubber. Although a 

 considerable amount of work remains to be done, the 

 next few years should enable us to ascertain the cause 

 of any inferiority in the plantation product, and to remedy 

 such cause, at any rate, in the output of our highest 

 quality material. There must, and always will be, 

 different grades and qualities, but the object of the 

 planter and his advisers must be to see that each grade 

 is purchased on its real merits and not on account of 

 some fancy on the part of the buyer. This will be also 

 to the real advantage of the manufacturer, especially the 

 smaller firms which may be unable to afford the upkeep 

 of a research laboratory and one or more research 

 chemists, although the former should form an integral 

 part of any factory dealing with a complex industry, such 

 as the vulcanization of raw rubber, and would be certain, 

 if properly conducted, to far more than pay for its initial 

 cost and upkeep, in enabling the manufacturer to avoid 

 the losses which must occur through the spoiling of large 

 batches of material on account of differences in the raw 

 material which necessitate different treatment during the 

 processes of mixing and curing. Unfortunately, it has 

 been impossible to include in this paper the results of any 

 vulcanization tests carried out at the Department of 

 Agriculture in the Federated Malay States, since these 



