IIQ THE AFRICAN RUBBER TREE 



(containing 40 per cent, formaldehyde) to 1 pint of freshly 

 collected latex will induce coagulation in from 15 to 40 

 horn's, depending on the dilution of the latex. This pro- 

 cess is reported to give rubber of good quality and 

 possesses the advantage that it can be used for fresh 

 latex. 



In Uganda, and also in West Africa, Funtumia rubber 

 is now being prepared by machiner}^ in the form of crepe 

 or sheet. 



Yield of Rubber from Funtumia elastica. — With reference 

 to the yield of rubber furnished by wild Funtumia 

 trees in West Africa, Chevalier has recorded that in 

 the Ivory Coast, full-grown trees, probably 100 years 

 old with trunks 60 ft. high and 24 in. in diameter, have 

 given as much as 8 to 10 quarts of latex, representing 

 4J to 6| lb. of rubber, when cut doAvn by the natives at 

 the beginnmg of the rainy season. If the trees are tapped, 

 he considers that 1 lb. of rubber is the maximum yield 

 from the first tapping of a full-grown tree, whilst ten- to 

 twelve-year-old trees will onlj'^ give 3| to 5-|- oz. The 

 subsequent tappmgs will give smaller amounts. 



In the Cameroons, Schlecliter obtained 3 quarts of latex, 

 giving 3 1 lb. of dry rubber, from a tree said to be seven 

 years old and never previously tapped, but this appears 

 to be an unusually high yield. Accordmg to Dudgeon, 

 2 quarts of latex (corresponding to about 2 lb. of rubber) 

 is an exceptional yield from a large tree m British West 

 Africa. 



Other recorded yields of rubber from wUd Fmitumia 

 trees vary from 4 oz. to 1 lb. or more, depending on the 

 size of the tree, its condition, and the period which has 

 elapsed since the previous tapping. 



The yields so far obtained from cultivated trees 

 have usually been much smaller than from the wild 

 trees. 



The following account gives the results of tappmg 

 experiments on Funtumia trees in different countries : 



Gold Coast. — I. Some preliminary tapping experi- 

 ments were conducted during the latter part of 1909 on 

 five groups of Funtumia elastica trees growing at the 

 Aburi plantation, and the results obtained are summar- 

 ised in the following table : 



