4 



The oil is of a dirty brown colour and is considerably improved 

 in colour by treatment with caustic alkalies. 



It is evident that it would not be profitable to extract the oil from 

 this material as the yield would be very small and the technical 

 difficulties of handling a seed with such a large percentage of so 

 hard a shell are very great. 



JOSEPH GROSFIELD & SONS, Ltd 

 per J. A. 



PLANTATION RUBBER. 



The Question of Quality. 



In the first place comes a letter from the managing director of 

 one of the first rubber factories in Great Britain to experiment with 

 Ceylon rubber. He writes : 



" We have only as yet used plantation rubber experimentally and 

 sparingly. Until it arrives in greater quantities it is too dear for the 

 general trade, since the solution makers can afford to pay 2 pence 

 a pound more for it than ordinary mechanical manufacturers. 

 When it arrives in excess of the solution requirements, the prices 

 will rectify themselves. 



" We don't make solution for the trade, but merely for our own 

 requirements. The quantity from any one estate is yet too trivial 

 to be worth much attention, and as yet the London auction sales 

 offer the best choice for the buyer and best price for the seller. 



" The qualities vary even from the same estate, according to the 

 age of the trees, whilst yet so young. We judge that the rubber 

 has not attained its full strength till the tree is at least 8 or 9 years 

 old ; younger than that, though good gum, it has not the strength 

 of hard cure Madeira fine Para, and is uneven in strength. There 

 is no difference noticeable in the rubber from 8 year old trees from 

 different plantations. We have used about 4 to 5 tons in testing it, 

 from about 20 plantations. As yet it is not safe to use for the 

 finest work, such as India-rubber thread and the best bladders, but 

 where a 1 weak Para ' will do it is all right. 



A member of the British rubber trade, though not at present a 

 manufacturer, to whom the preceding lines were shown, offers this 

 suggestion : 



" It is true that an absolutely fair test of plantation rubber in 

 comparison with Brazilian Para rubber has not yet been possible, 

 owing to the fact that the Ceylon and Straits products so far have 

 been marked in such small lots — though the aggregate may have 

 been important — and varying so in quality and condition that the 

 manufacturer seeking to use these sorts has been unable to obtain 

 either an important quantity at one time or an assured supply of a 

 given quality for regular consumption. These things will right 



