and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



85 



HINTS ON TAPPING AND PREPARING 

 CASTS LLOA RUBBER. 



Mr V S Smith writes as follows in the Mexican, 

 Investor : — 



Having received many inquiries how to best 

 tap the Castilloa rubber tree and prepare its 

 latex into rubber, I shall herein give a few hints 

 as to the best methods known. 



It will be found that in tapping the most 

 practical method is to make the cuts in pairs 

 one on each side, terminating in a V point. 

 These pairs or double cuts should not be closer 

 together than 20 inches. 



For catching the latex I use a device of my 

 own, extremely practical and of little cost. 

 Spouts made in this shape, slightly curved, 2 

 by 3 inches, with a point % inch long filed sharp, 

 made of common roofing iron, are driven in 

 the bark half an inch below the point cut. A 

 slight stroke of the tapping tool drives it in 

 firmly and without injury to tree. This deflects 

 the flow into the pans, which are of tin 5 by 8 

 by 1$ inches in depth. I make them by slitting 

 down the corners and interlocking the points, 

 using no solder. The cost of pan with its spout 

 is about 6 cents Mex. I doubt if a more efficient, 

 practical and cheaper method could be devised. 



Fifteen pans and spouts suffice for each worker. 

 After cutting fifteen trees he returns to gather 

 up his pans and spouts, pouring the milk into 

 his can. Taking spouts away so soon prevents 

 more sap running into the pan, for the rubber 

 ceases to run before the sap. Each man is fur- 

 nished with a scraper of thin metal made to the 

 shape of the groove, for scraping out that which 

 remains in cut. 



Each man makes for double cuts on from 80 to 

 100 trees. He then goes over again scraping out 

 that loft m cuts, and brings home half a kerosene 

 can of milk by 11 a.m. i'his is his daily task. 



As for a tapping tool, 1 venture to assert that 

 the U-shaped blade which I invented in 1905 

 and patented same year will never be improved 

 upon. The essential part and upon which the 

 claim is based, is a thin piece of inch-wide 

 steel bent to a D- shape with a slight flare, 

 and ends fixed firmly on a handle 2j in- 

 ches long and a movable guide for adjust- 

 ing to depth required. Indians learn to 

 use it in a few minutes. With it I have made 

 the third tapping on my trees, now six and seven 

 years old, planted in 1900 and 1901. First tap- 

 ping was in 1905. IMo trees have died or seem to 

 have been injured in the least. 



Nowlfor washing. Mix the milk with an equal 

 portion of wat9r so that it may be easily 

 strained through fine wire cloth, to cleanse it of 

 all trash. Then put into tanks with about 80 

 percent, of water. In a few hours the rubber 

 rises and the dirty water may be let out at 

 bottom. Three changes are sufficient. 



If desired to coagulate the rubber at once and 

 cut into strips, pour juice of the so-called Moon 

 vine (or any other coagulafcor chosen) into tank, 

 then cut into inch strips and pass through 

 rollers to press out excess of water. 



My plan, because ' the cutting process is 

 tedious, is to skim off the milk into trays with 

 perforated bottom, 1 by 3 feet by 2 inches in 

 depth, over which spread a smooth cotton cloth. 

 Sprinkle the coagulating juice over and^in an 

 hour or two it is drained and coagulated. Turn 

 on to a smooth board, remove the cloth and run 

 through the rollers. 



I use an ordinary wooden sugar-cane mill. If 

 too tight it makes crepe rubber. Make loose at 

 first, continue to pass through, tightening each 

 time till no more water flows, and hang up 

 to dry. 



This makes smooth sheets | inch thick by 14 

 by 40 inches, easily pressed into blocks of con- 

 venient size for shipping. 



The tendency is against thin sheets and crepe 

 rubber, and rightly so, for thin sheets oxydize 

 rapidly whereas thick pieces practically not at 

 all. Then it costs too much in the various 

 manipulations, also it is too bulky for handling. 



All our rubber prepared in this manner was 

 sold at $1.23 gold per pound. — Tropical Life. 



Cocoa Exports prom Ecuador.— The extent 

 of this export from Ecuador is not, perhaps, 

 generally recognised. In his report just issued 

 (<Jd. 3727-29) Mr. Consul Cartwright says that the 

 record crop of cocoa so far has been that of 1904, 

 when the quantity available for export was 

 562,810 quintals, oi say 25,000 tons. The follow- 

 ing year gave 459,293 quintals, or a little less 

 than 21,01)0 tons. This short produce was, how- 

 ever, more than compensated for by the regular 

 and rapid increase in value. The average price 

 of cocoa in 1905 was 30 sucres, or about £3 per 

 50 kilos f.o.b. Guayaquil. In 1906 this had'been 

 increased to an average of 34 sucres or £3 8s., 

 and now in 1907, a still further increase of nearly 

 40 per cent has taken place, the average price 

 for the year being 47 sucres, or £4 14s per 50 

 kilos. This has been of great benefit to the 

 agricultu ral and commercial interests of Ecuador, 

 and has largely increased the value of its ex- 

 ports. The Government duties are not ac? valorem 

 but per weight exported, so that the financial 

 position of the executive has not improved in the 

 same proportion as prices have appreciated. — 

 Journal of the Society of Arts, Dec. 20. 



