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prepare his rubber for the market as clean and dry and as free 

 from nitrogenous matter as possible. The reasons for this art.', 

 that clean and dry rubber fetch a higher price in the market, 

 cost less in freight and handling, and is less liable to deteriorate 

 in transit and. in store, than rubber which is collected by methods 

 in common use at the present day. These remarks, however, 

 only refer to the better qualities, as, with the commoner rubbers, 

 say of West Africa, if it were not for the moisture contained in 

 them, they would arrive in Liverpool in the condition of bird- 

 lime or melted pitch. The best quality of Ceylon or Malay 

 State rubber, is, so far as we can judge, no better than fine Para 

 rubber. It fetches a higher price solely because it comes to 

 market drier and cleaner. It is impossible to say. if the planters 

 were to wash and dry their rubber before sending it to market, 

 whether it would save the manufacturer the cost of cleaning, 

 until the experiment had been tried on a commercial scale, 

 because a few small specks of sand or grit adhering to the surface 

 of the sheets might spoil the articles made from the rubber, and 

 few manufacturers would care to run the risk of using rubber 

 straight from the packing case. It is quite possible to imagine 

 such a system of packing as would prevent the intrusion of dust, 

 dirt, or moisture, but such a system would have to be invented 

 before the manufacturer would venture to forego the washing 

 process in his own works. Therefore, under present conditions, 

 or conditions likely to prevail in the near future, we are of opinion 

 that it is not advisable for rubber planters to wash and dry 

 rubber on the plantation, except for the purpose of sending it to 

 market as clean and dry as possible; and that, as far as we ran 

 see, it would not obviate the necessity of the cleaning and drying 

 process in the manufactory." 



Mr. Jno. Hooper, of Hooper's Telegraph and India-rubber 

 Works, Limited, London, says: "I have nothing but commenda- 

 tion for the plan proposed, so long as the rubber is used for 

 mechanical purposes or waterproof goods, as it must save the 

 manufacturer charges for extra freight and washing and drying 

 space, if the rubber can be cleansed and dried efficiently before 

 being exported. But when rubber is used for electrical purposes 

 as insulating conductors — it is very necessary to be careful as to 

 the class and condition of the rubber used. For our own 

 special insulation, we have found that the lumps of fine Para as 

 imported, with a few exceptions, can be relied upon if treated in 

 the right manner from start to finish of the manufacture, and any 

 lumps which are not satisfactory can be used for other purposes. 

 If these unsatisfactory lumps had been washed and dried and 

 mixed with the bulk before being exported, it would be practically 

 impossible to ensure the rubber being entirely of the best quality 

 without adulteration." 



David Moseley & Sons, Ltd., Manchester, reply that : 

 ''Several planters have been to see them and they have explained 



