74 THE WHOLE ART OF RUBBER-GROWING 



round capsule, less than i inch in diameter, contain- 

 ing three polished seeds mottled in colour. The coat 

 of the seed is very hard. Its fertility is much greater 

 than that of any other rubber tree. The seed capsule 

 explodes under the influence of very dry weather,, 

 and the seed is thereby scattered great distances. 

 The product of the Manihot is known to commerce- 

 under the name of " Ceara scrap ". The definition 

 correctly describes the crude, simple manner in 

 which the latex of the Manihot is gathered in Brazil. 

 Before beginning his labours the collector sweeps the 

 rubbish from the base of the tree, and after stripping 

 off the thin outer bark to as high as he can reach, he 

 hacks and cuts the exposed surface, and allows the 

 latex to trickle in tears about the trunk and on the 

 ground round about. Coagulation takes place rapidly 

 by natural means, the collector generally allowing one 

 or two days to elapse before gathering the rubber 

 for market. Manipulated in this fashion, it is of 

 course full of impurities, and graded by the factors- 

 accordingly. 



Nevertheless, it is a rubber that is highly esteemed 

 by the manufacturer. When turned out in a clean, 

 sensible fashion Ceara rubber possesses a beautiful 

 amber colour and is nearly transparent, a property 

 which cannot be claimed on behalf of any other kind 

 of rubber. It is indisputable, moreover, that the 

 latex of the Manihot is at least equal if not superior 

 .to that of the Hevea (Para). It contains less mois- 

 ture and fewer of those nitrogenous substances which 

 produce tackiness and decomposition of the article 

 by fermentation. 



