38 3 



PARA RUBBER SEED. 



The prices which are obtainable at the present time for Para 

 Rubber seeds for planting purposes being so high, other means of 

 disposing of them are not necessary, but with hundreds of thousands 

 of trees becoming seed-bearers the supply of seed for planting will 

 soon be in excess of the demand. 



The commercial value of the seed of Hevea braziliensis has up 

 to the present been rated on the amount and quality of the oil it 

 possesses. I his oil is similar in its character to Linseed oil and tor 

 the manufacture of paints, varnishes, etc., and other purposes for 

 which Linseed oil is used Para seed oil compares favourably. 



The following analysis of Para seed oil shows its composition 

 wfl 'ch in comparison to Linseed is as good or better in everything 

 except in Iodine value:— 



Specific gravity at 1 5 C. ... ... 0-9303 



Free fatty acids — Acid value ... ... 107 



Calculated oleic acid ... ... 5"4 P er cent 



Ester value ..; ... ... 1954 



Neutral oil ... ... ... 946 



Saponification value ... ...206*1 



Iodine value ... ... ... 128 3 



T (ie oil has not yet been obtained in sufficient quantities for its 

 pities to be adequately tested but manufacturers have offered 

 * Pnce of £10 to £12 per ton for decorticated seed in good 

 Edition. F 



order to estimate the weight which may be expected per acre 



benf r 100 trees - 1 wei g hed in Ce y lon . a ,aree number of seeds 



1 i&ths of a 



ine shell of the seed has as far as we know at present no com- 

 r^'al value and in order to save bulk in should be removed 

 Delore shipping. 



, h has been found that the loss in oil in decorticated rubber seed 

 urin g transit to Europe is very little. 



To find the relative weight of shell and kernel, 1 carefully weighed 

 an , e \ av erage seeds, and after taking the shell off weighed shell 

 Cd f 11 ! 1 se P aratel y- The relative weight of kernel to shell is 

 be 597 or approximately 60 per cent. 



