354 



tionate weight of about 6o par cent. A separate set of weighings of 

 300 seeds per day from tapped trees for 16 days gave an average 

 total weight per 1,000 seeds of 8 lbs. 6 ozs.— exactly the average 

 given in the other set of weighings. 



Taking the average weight of 1,000 kernels at 5 lbs. 4 ozs. we 

 arrive at a total of 426.700 seeds required to produce I ton of fresh 

 kernels. This figure is in fairly close agreement with that given by 

 the late Mr. Carruthers. 



Allowing a loss of 20 per cent, on drying, the weight of 1,000 

 kernels will be 4 lbs. 3 ozs. This will give a total of 533,000 seeds to 

 the ton of dried kernels. 



The results may therefore be summarized as follows : — 



i. Mr. Carruthers in 1908 found the total weight of 1,000 seeds to 



be 9 lbs. ; of 1,000 kernels, 5 lbs. 6^ ozs. These were taken 

 from untapped trees and no allowance made for drying. 



ii. Messrs. Macmillan and Fetch in 1908 give the total weight 



of 1,000 seeds at 7 lbs. 13 ozs. ; of 1,000 kernels fresh, 4 lbs. 

 8 ozs. ; of 1,000 kernels dried, 3 lbs 10 ozs. These were 

 from tapped trees. From untapped they state the results - 

 to be closely in accordance with those of Mr. Carruthers. 



iii. The actual figures arrived at here in 191 1 on a large scale 



give the total weight of 1,000 seeds, 8 lbs. 6 ozs. ; weight of 

 1,000 kernels, fresh, 5 lbs. 4 ozs. ; weight of 1,000 kernels, 

 dry, 4 lbs. 3 ozs. ; these are from tapped trees and are 

 intermediate between those above. 



Cost per Ton. — Worked out on this basis the cost of collecting 

 I ton of fresh kernels will be $15.25 (£l 15s. 7d.) For dried kernels 

 it works out at $19.04 (£2 4s. 5dJ. Owing to the low cost of collec- 

 tion, even the last figure is but little in excess of that calculated by 

 Mr. Carruthers for fresh kernels, which was $18.64. 



Attention should be called to an error in Mr, Carruthers' esti- 

 mate of the cost of putting rubber seeds on the market. The freight 

 is given at 40 shillings per ton. This is now 40 shillings ($17.14') per 

 scale ton of 50 cubic feet, which works out to about 64 shillings 

 ($28.00) per ton weight of husked rubber seed packed in bags. 



There remain to be considered the cost of decorating, packing, 

 and freight to port of shipment. There is at any rate room for a 

 decided margin of profit even with husked seeds selling at £10 per 

 ton in England. 



Decorticating would have to be carried out in Malaya. The 

 article in the Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, above referred to, 

 states that " trials with Miller's nut cracking machine at the Im- 

 perial Institute have shown that this can be used for the purpose; 

 but it is necessary that trials on a comparatively large scale with the 



