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Mr. Leonard Wray's Report. 



Thirty-four estates exhibited, sliowing a total of 71 specimens of 

 Para rubber, made up of 24 samples of crepe, 8 of smoked crepe, 5 of 

 block, 8 of sheet, 17 of smoked sheet, 4 of scrap crepe and five of 

 bark crepe. There were also 6 samples of Rambong, 2 of sheet and 

 4 of crepe. Of the estates which exhibited, 8 are in Perak, 17 in 

 Selangor, 3 in Negri Sembilan, 4 in Johore and 2 in Malacca. 



Considering the number of estates in existence, it cannot be con- 

 tended that they were adequately represented or that with the 

 exception of Buket Rajah, Chersonese, Highlands and Lowlands, 

 Linggi and Vallambrosa any serious attempt was made to send 

 a full suite of exhibits. 



The quality of the exhibits was excellent and compared 

 favourably with anything else in the exhibition. Undoubtedly this 

 exhibition was shown that vulcanization tests and not appearance 

 will be the determining factors in the valuation ot rubber in the near 

 future. It is satisfactory to be able to report that a sample of 

 Malayan plantation rubber funsmoked sheet) tested in the exhibition 

 and subjected to the same treatment as a sample of Fine Para, 

 excelled it in strength. This result indicates, that with proper 

 preparation, Malayan rubber can take the place of the best Brazilian 

 rubber ; but before this can happen the bulk of it must be brought 

 up to this high standard. There is little advantage in isolated estates 

 turning out first quality rubber when the remainder of the output is 

 of a much inferior grade. Uniformity is the great desideratum from 

 the manufacturer's point of view, and uniformity, I submit, can only 

 be attained by co-operation on the part of the planters. 



The quantity of the rubber shown was distinctly inadequate. In 

 Ceylon section the samples averaged lOO lbs., whilst those in the 

 Malayan section were only about 25 lbs. Size, in an exhibition of 

 this character, is an important consideration. It is quite true that a 

 small sample shows all the qualities of any given grade as well as a 

 large one, but it does not impress visitors in anything like the same 

 degree. It may be noted, in this connection, that the Judges awarded 

 the Special Gold Medal to a pile of 20 tons of fine hard Para rubber, 

 and- it is perhaps hardly necessary to add that a single ball of this 

 rubber would have had no chance of winning the prize. 



The contributions of the Botanic Gardens, Singapore, and of the 

 Forest Department of the Federated Malay States, were decidedly 

 good and interested many visitors. They might have been larger and 

 more comprehensive with advantage. 



The attendance at the exhibition, although not very numerous, 

 was satisfactory and the visitors consisted largely of those having 

 direct interests in the rubber industries. There were amongst them 

 many shareholders in rubber estates ; all wishing to see samples of 



