$8 



branch being 35 feci. This tree was thought to be about 50 years 

 old. The Gutta Percha was extracted by the above mentioned native 



method under the personal supervision of the Superintendent 

 of the Botanic Gardens, and yielded only lbs. of Gutta Percha. 

 Another tree blown down in 1QOI, 52 feet high and 42 inches in 

 circumference, yielded by the same method i£ lbs. only. Dr. 

 SHERMAN had a tree felled in the Philippines, 160 feet in height and 

 8 feet in circumference, which yielded only 8.\ lbs., whereas he 

 estimated thai could all the latex in the leaves and bark have been 

 obtained he would have extracted 150 to 200 lbs. 



Other methods of extraction have been tried, e.g., from the leaves 

 and bark. The green leaves of the be-;t species of Palaquium contain 

 up to 3 percent of pure Gulta Percha and the bark about 5 per cent. 

 A company was started in Singapore which, by simple mechanical 

 means, extracted Gutta Percha from them, but 1 believe that great 

 difficulty was met with in the procuring of sufficient leaves. I be- 

 lieve this method of extraction could be employed in the native 

 States were the necessary plant set up close to the forest. Extraction 

 ran also be effected from dried leaves by this method, but there is 

 great loss through oxidisation while drying gradually. 



There are also various methods of extraction of the latex by 

 chemical means, but I believe 1 am right in saying that these are 

 less satisfactory as regards the produced Gutta Percha. I am very 

 doubtful whether extraction from the leaves only, i.e., from leaves 

 gathered from standing trees without tapping the tree, would be a 

 success from an economical point of view. From what we know the 

 best method would seem to be to fell the tree, but to extract every 

 ounce of latex from the bark, twigs and leaves of the felled tree. 

 This would not present any great difficulties. In any case it is 

 obvious that the method of collection from leaves only is a most 

 dangerous one if carried out by natives as they cut down the young 

 saplings in order to reach the leaves, otherwise inaccessible without 

 great trouble, whereas were they collecting by their own methods 

 it would not pay to fell trees of less than a certain size. Again 

 Palaquium appears to be a very slow growing tree and what effect 

 the stripping of some or all of the leaves, even at considerable in- 

 tervals would have, is very uncertain. So far the Forest Department 

 in the Federated Malay States has not concerned itself greatly with 

 methods of extraction, all its energies must for the present be 

 devoted to the protection and cultivation of the trees. There is 

 ample time in which to make experiments. Lately some fairly large 

 trees have been found in the forests and I intend before long to 

 make experiments in tapping the living trees; it is quite possible by 

 tapping the tree from the base upwards to a considerable height a 

 good quantity of latex may be obtained without seriously affecting 

 the vigour of the tree. Of this however I have no great hopes as 

 as I have heard that tapping as hitherto attempted has had an in- 

 jurious effect. 



I may here mention that from the leaves of P. pustulatum, which 

 I sent to Singapore, but very little Gutta Percha could be extracted, in 



