48 



the chicleros soap their hands and arms thoroughly, and by constant 

 renewal of soap they are able to handle and mold it with a minimum 

 of sticking. In the earlier days of gum collecting the chicle was often 

 heaped together into semi-spherical and rectangular masses and al- 

 lowed to dry, but the general practice at present is to mold it in 



Molding chicle into blocks. 



