193 



throughout the tree, it is not possilbe to drain all the latex by tap- 

 ping only a small area of the bark, as is the case with the Hevea. 

 The tree has, therefore, to be cut down in order that the whole 

 tree, including the branches and twigs, may be tapped. The roots 

 also, which often project above the ground, are tapped. I am told 

 that it takes as much as 15 days for the whole of the latex to exude 

 from the tree. The latex is collected first in small cups placed 

 to receive it, and subsequently is poured into a suitable vessel, or 

 sometimes into a trough cut in the tree itself or into a hole made 

 in the ground. A small quantity of soap solution is added to it to 

 produce a more rapid coagulation. The juice of a creeper named 

 " Vitelha" is generally added for the same purpose. 



When the latex has coagulated, which takes some days, the mass 

 is taken out and caucho " Slabs " are thus formed. Caucho " Balls " 

 are made by rolling up strips of the coagulated latex that has 

 exuded from cracks in the bark. By common accounts an average 

 caucho tree will yield from 30 to 40 lbs. of caucho including the 

 scraps. 



Owing to the fact that the trees are cut down and destroyed, the 

 collectors, or " Caucheros " as the are called, are constantly moving 

 about to discover fresh trees. Whereas at one time nearly all 

 the caucho came from Peru, it is now more extensively worked on 

 the Javary. During 1899 a large amount was also received from 

 the Purus. The actual work of exploring and tapping caucho trees 

 is still done chiefly by Peruvians even in Brazil, the Brazilians pre- 

 ferring to work the hevea. 



PARA RUBBER IN THE STRAITS 

 SETTLEMENTS. 



To the Editor of 



The India Rubber World : 



A few weeks ago I posted you a copy of the Annual Report of 

 the Botanic Gardens in this Colony, containing, among other 

 rubber notes, the result obtained by tapping a single Para Rubber 

 tree (Hevea Brasiliensis) growing in the Waterfall Botanic Gar- 

 den, Penang. The result of four tappings within two years, as 

 shown in that report, is i2h pounds of dry, marketable rubber. 

 Within the past month the same tree has been again tapped, and 

 yielded over 2 pounds more, so that this one tree has given 14^ 

 pounds, without being excessively tapped. How long it will con- 

 tinue to yield at this rate is a matter of conjecture, but so far as 

 can at present be seen there has been no apparent injury to the 

 tree. I am sending you by post a sample of the rubber and shall 

 esteem it a favour if you will kindly submit it to some expert en- 

 gaged in the manufacture of rubber goods for an opinion as to its 

 quality and value. 



In a few years' time this will be a large article of export from this 

 region, and also what is known here as " Gutta rambong " (Ficus 

 ela&tica.) Many large plantations here and in the adjoining 



