3 86 



for any land except desert-like wastes similar to those in Mexico, 

 outside of which it will probably never attain any importance. The 

 rubber is not in laticiferous vessels, but in scattered cells, about two- 

 thirds being in the bark. It is extracted not as liquid latex, but from 

 chopped or ground -up pieces of the stem and branches of the shrub 

 by mechanical or chemical treatment, the processes for which are all 

 patents, more or less secret. 



The mechanical methods are cheapest, but the rubber contains 

 mere pieces of wood than when extracted chemically. Mostly 

 Alkalies are used in the chemical processes, other chemicals are too 

 dear in Mexico. The difficulty of extraction renders large Com- 

 panies and plant a necessity. There are only fifteen Companies at 

 present engaged in the entire industry, though the export was 

 2,700,000 lbs. in the last six months of 1906 and 700,000 lbs. in 

 January of this year. (Exports from Brazil from the year 1906 were 

 I5.774.840 lbs.) 



Older plants yield a higher percentage of rubber than younger 

 ones, the plant cannot be profitably used until it is at least five years 

 old, and as a rule ten years must elapse from time of sowing seed 

 until the plant is ready for harvesting, but it appears that the new 

 shoots which grow or, the cut down stems may be collected after 

 hve years. Whether a third crop will follow cannot be stated with 

 certainty. P 



The chopped-up material gives from 7 to 10 per cent caoutchouc; 

 the age of the tree and the dryness of the material effecting the 

 percentage. There are a want of data concerning the composition 

 of the rubber. The Director of a large Company asserts that their 

 rubber contains 20 per cent of resins ; it would appear that well- 

 prepared stuff contains from 53 to 70 per cent caoutchouc and 

 water' 2 ^ 2 ° ^ YCSms > with from 3 per cent u P wards ° f 



Guayale rubber as put on the market contains considerable quanti- 

 ties of woody fibre, which the methods of extraction have been 

 unable to take away. This makes washing considerably difficult for 

 manufacturers, and special machines have been designed for the 

 purpose. Th ls may account for its neglect by British manufacturers, 

 tnougn it has proved itself a middle-grade rubber, suited to many 

 commercial applications and offering certain advantages in vulcanisa- 

 tion it ,s used mostly by American and German manufacturers, 

 forPara 6 d * W ° rthy ° f attention durin S the P resent high ^ 



P h J°%r°\ appear on the Iis ts of London Brokers, but the India 

 Kubbc World quotes its price in New York on the 30th July last 

 *f 2s. per lb., and the highest price of Para on the same date as 

 £0-4-11, and fine Ceylon as £0-5-7. 



_ The Companies are mostly German, and the advent of an American 

 on in 1906, which attempted to gain complete control ot 

 :ry according to American Trust Methods, lowered tne 



