33 



bone system is adopted, the latex coagulated in a Michie- 

 Golledge machine, and the spongy rubber cut up by 

 machinery into worms. The worms are dried in twelve 

 hours and converted into dry crgpe. Bark shavings are 

 collected and rubber extracted therefrom. 



The trees have been tapped from the base up to five 

 or six feet in past years; now the renewed bark on this 

 area, and the primary bark up to ten feet and higher, is 

 being tapped, ladders being provided for the high tapping. 



The machinery in the rubber factory consists of one 

 pair of washing rollers supplied by the Federated En- 

 gineering Co., Kuala Lumpur; one Michie-GoUedge co- 

 agulator, from Walker and Sons, Colombo; one machine 

 for cutting the rubber into worms; one apparatus for 

 pressing worms in packing; and the usual engine for 

 power. 



Vogan Estate. 



The yield of rubber for the first quarter of 1908 from 

 this property {4,294 lb.) compares favourably with that 

 for the same period of the previous year; the estimate 

 of over 22,000 lb. for this year is likely to be realised 

 under the management of Mr. Tisdall. In a few years 

 the export from this property will reach six figures easily. 

 A very small factory is provided. The apparatus is of the 

 simplest. Sheet rubber is made from the freshly-coagu- 

 lated rubber by means of a piece of steef shafting and a 

 small table covered with a zinc plate; the sheets are dried 

 on sloping shelves covered with glass in air at ordinary 

 temperatures. No scientific apparatus; no complicated 

 tools; everything is of the simplest type. And the rubber 

 is of good quality. Another fact indicative of the char- 

 acter of the manager of this property is that he has 

 abandoned his own patent knife in preference to Miller's; 

 he is also giving every encouragement to his engine 

 driver, who is trying his hand at a new tapping knife. 

 We could not suppress our admiration for the good 

 quality of the work done by crude apparatus in the hands 

 of an essentially practical man. 



Another Estate. 



A visit was also paid to another property in charge 

 of a practical man gifted with inventive genius. He 



c 



