471 



bung may be approximately 2/6. The rubber when vulcanised is 

 slightly softer and considerably weaker and does not stand the 

 heat test so well. We cannot well suggest any way of preparing 

 this rubber as this is a question which does not come under our 

 notice in manufacturing. The only thing that we can sav is that 

 in the collection of this rubber great care should be taken to pre- 

 vent any extraneous matter from incorporating itself in the mass 

 during drying and all chemical assistance to the drying of the milk 

 should be avoided. 



CRUDE RUBBER 



To the Editor of the " India-Rubber and 

 Gutta-Percha Journal." 



Dear Sir, — There is a great deal of' activity going on here in 

 rubber planting, and the Peninsula must before long be an im- 

 portant rubber producing country. The soil and climate seem to 

 be particularly suitable for the cultivation of Para (Hevea Brazi- 

 Lien sis) and Ficus (Ficus elastica), and should the results equal the 

 experiments which have been carried out from time to time this 

 country will afford a very profitable field for investment in this 

 direction. Straits rubber has, I believe, a bad name, this is because 

 it is more or less a heterogeneous collection of indigenous rubbers 

 and saps collected by the natives, and, of course, we planters do 

 not wish to associate our cultivated product with this variety. 

 Although my own estate is not yet in the productive stage, yet I 

 can extract sufficient latex to make small experiments, and I read 

 with very great interest your remarks on crude rubber. From these 

 articles I learn that a great deal of waste occurs in the washing pro- 

 cess in consequence of adulterants. Well, Sir, I am only anxious 

 to turn out as pure a rubber as possible, and 1 am prepared to do 

 anything in reason to accomplish this, but being a planter I know- 

 nothing about the manufacturing side. Since there is a process of 

 cleaning rubber, would it not be possible to accomplish this on the 

 estate, and so avoid paying freights on useless material, or, better 

 still, so prepare the milk as to avoid this washing process? With 

 scrap it is quite impossible to collect the latex in a pure state; an 

 admixture of rubber bark and soil always results. 



If you would, through the medium of your valuable paper, advise 

 the planter what to do, you would be conferring a great benefit 

 upon the community. I know there is a great deal of diversity in 

 the opinions as to Hie best means of coagulating the latex, one is 

 recommended alum, spirits, centrifugalization, smoke, and various 

 other methods, one of which is to allow coagulation to take place 

 naturally. I was privileged last December in the company with 

 Mr. Fox, the assistant director, Singapore Botanical Gardens, to 

 take part in an experimental tapping of some Ficus trees (5^ years 

 old) belonging to Mr. Tan Chay Yan, of Malacca. From 3 \ im- 

 perial pints of latex were obtained 2 lbs. 10 ozs. of dry rubber, w hich 



