GOODYEAR ON GUM-ELASTIC. 



The Ficus elastica, genuine Caoutchouc, or India rubber 

 tree, is of the siphilla tribe, and is found in abundance in Brazil. 

 It is the common growth of the forest of that country. It reaches 

 to the height of from eighty to one hundred feet, and to about forty 

 or fifty feet without branches, the trunk measuring from twelve 

 to eighteen inches in diameter. The tree is tufted with a thick 

 glossy foliage, and has a leaf resembling very closely the chest- 

 nut leaf, only larger and thicker, being about five inches in length. 

 Like other trees, when in an open situation, the branches grow 

 nearer the ground, and have a greater spread. The genuine 

 gum-elastic tree has never been made to grow in the United 

 States. The gum-elastic tree which is commonly exhibited in 

 the hot houses of northern latitudes, does not yield the genuine 

 gum-elastic, although it produces a sap that has exactly the 

 appearance of that of the India rubber tree. 



From Kidder's Travels in Brazil : — 



" There are several varieties of trees, most of them belonging 

 to the tribe Euphorbicea, which produce a gum of this sort. 

 Another tree, not uncommon in Brazil, is the Massaranduba, 

 which yields a white secretion, that so resembles milk in its 

 qualities, that it is highly valued as an aliment. The trees yield 

 this milk in great profusion; of which, when coagulated, a 

 plaster is formed of the curd, that is deemed valuable. Their 

 botanical character has never been properly investigated. It is 

 presumed that there is a close affinity between the Massaranduba 

 of Brazil, the cow tree of Demarara, and the butter tree of 

 Africa. The sap of the India rubber tree is also sometimes 

 used as milk, by the Negroes and Indians who work in its 

 preparation. It is said that they are fond of drinking it, and 

 that it was the custom among the Indians to present a bottle of 

 it to every guest, at the beginning of one of their feasts." 



From the Supplement to lire's Dictionary we extract the 

 following : — 



" Hitherto the greater part of the caoutchouc has been im- 

 ported into Europe from South America, and the best from 

 Para ; but of late years a considerable quantity has been brought 



