CEYLON COCOA ESTATE 85 



The rubber sap is at once put into shallow 

 earthen chatties. When sufficiently coagu- 

 lated, acetic acid being sometimes added to 

 hasten the process, the mass is turned out, 

 all the moisture pressed out by rolling, then 

 dried in the sun. When finished the flat semi- 

 transparent discs form the "rubber biscuits," 

 of commerce. 



The white mass, as it is turned out of the 

 chatties, where it has partly solidified looks like 

 a quaking mould of most tempting blanc-mange 

 or lemon sponge. Healthy trees, where the 

 bark has healed, can be tapped year after 

 year, but each season many die under the 

 process. Some years ago, it was thought that 

 " Ceara," rubber trees would form a good 

 shade for cocoa, and accordingly many were 

 planted on the various cocoa Estates, but it 

 was found to be rather injurious than other- 

 wise, for during the hottest time of the year, 

 when cocoa requires shade most, the rubber 

 trees are bare and in monsoon time the foliage 

 is so dense ; that it gives the undergrowth no 

 chance of getting the little sunshine that there 

 is. Pneumatic tyres have given quite a fillip 

 to rubber culture. The rumour of the invention 

 of a rubber separator, which should minimise 

 the cost of production, makes the Ceylon 

 planter watch for developments. It is probable 

 that in the future, rubber may become a very 



