November, 1908.] 



413 



Saps and Emulations. 



as Para is.* The difficulty of intro- 

 ducing Para into Africa lies in the 

 great susceptibilty of its seed to long 

 transport. Planters in Africa, for in- 

 stance, importing such seeds from Ceylon, 

 even when most carefully packed, con- 

 sider themselves lucky if they raise 15 

 per cent, of seedlingst from the seeds 

 imported. Large quantities of F. elastiea 

 seeds can be sent in a 111b. parcel for 

 3s. to any part of the world. We thus 

 have the following advantages in the 

 case of F. elastiea — 



Seeds easily procurable ; they stand 

 transporation to any part of the world 

 at small expense and do not necessitate 

 cumbrous packing and consequent ex- 

 pense.} 



F. elastiea is a drought-resisting tree, 

 doing well with a rainfall to which Para 

 would inevitably succumb. 



It is a disease-resisting tree, aud not 

 liable to the pests and cankers that have 

 caused considerable ravage in the Para 

 plantations of Ceylon. 



The yield per acre of rubber from F. 

 elastiea is greater than from Para. 



The mode of preparation and curing 

 the latex of F. elastiea rubber is simple, 

 and does not necessitate any chemicals, 

 which tend to weaken its resilient and 

 elastic qualities. 



Lastly, the price obtained for it in the 

 open market has been practically the 

 same as for hard Para, when prepared 

 on equally scientific methods, and ship- 

 ped free of moisture, dirt, &c. 



A brief summary of the different 

 methods of coagulating the latex of 

 Funtumia may prove of interest to plant- 

 ers. There are several ways of carrying 

 out this operation. 



(1) By the crude method at present 

 in vogue among the natives. This con- 

 sists in digging a hole in the ground, or 

 scooping out the trunk of a tree, and 

 pouring the milk in. In three or four 

 weeks the latex coagulates, and the 

 rubber thus formed is then taken out 

 and sent down to the coast and sold. 



(2) Next in order comes the boiling 

 process. The milk is placed in a "bain- 

 marie ;" the water surrounding it is 

 brought to the boil, and the water in 

 the milk carefully steamed off. This 



* When Funtumia is planted out in large 

 cultivated areas it may, and probably will, 

 develop diseases the same as other trees : 

 rubber, cacao, &c. 



t We always understood that the Botanical 

 Gardens supply plants at a price that works out 

 under a penny each, so they cannot be said to 

 be expensive. 



\ Some authorities insist that Funtumia seeds 

 also rapidly lose their germinating vitality. 



process requires time, fuel, and constant 

 attention.* 



(3) Theu comes another process, con- 

 sidered by the writer very simple 

 and effective. Several planks of the 

 "Odoom" tree (Chlorophora excelsa) 

 after being planed, are joined together, 

 and the milk poured over this surface to 

 a depth of about J inch. This is doue in 

 the evening. By the next morning the 

 rubber is ready to be peeled off . f 



Fourth, and lastly, comes the Otoko- 

 taka process, which has attracted so 

 much attention of late.; The milk is 

 poured into an infusion made from the 

 leaves of the Otokotaka shrub (Bauhinia 

 reticulata) and stirred, coagulation im- 

 mediately takes place. The rubber 

 gathers on the surface of the vessel in 

 grey-white lumps. These are removed 

 and rolled out into fiat biscuits or 

 sheets. 



The writer has also successfully carried 

 out the smokiug and creosoting of these 

 biscuits and sheets by dropping creosote 

 on to the smouldering fibres that are 

 left after the oil has been boiled out of 

 the pericarp (fleshy part) of the nut of 

 the oil palm. The smoke thus obtained 

 preserves the rubber and gives it that 

 peculiar smoked-bacon odour so highly 

 prized by buyers. § The cakes of rubber 

 were subjected to this smoke for about 

 half an hour. 1 have one before me that 

 has been on a steam radiator in an office 

 during the past winter ; its condition is 

 perfect. 



Tapping. — Experiments with spiral 

 and semi-spiral tax) ping, after the me- 



* The process resembles the "Norzagaray 

 trough " process, now on show at the stall of 

 the Chilian Exploration Company in the Mexican 

 Exhibition at the Crystal Palace. We have 

 seen rubber prepared by this process, even in 

 London, with great success. By this system 

 the rubber can be prepared in about thirty 

 minutes, and the apparatus (simply a tin pan 

 and some troughs, 12 in. long) can be carried 

 about anywhere. Mr, Evans values Funtumia 

 prepared by a process similar to the " Norza- 

 garay" as being equal to hard Para. — Ed .T.L. 



f We understand that this system is an old 

 one, and from an experimental point of view it 

 works out admirably, but is not generally to be 

 recommended for commercial purposes. Any 

 wood seems to do ; it is the exposure to the at- 

 mosphere that causes coagulation, the length of 

 time depending on the thinness of the layer of 

 latex. 



} In the Gold Coast exhibits at the Franco- 

 British Exhibition Mr, Evans has included some 

 Otokotaka leaves, and specimens of the rubber pre- 

 pared by this process. 



§ Rubber can also be successfully creosoted. on the 

 West Coast by hanging the biscuits, &c., in a 

 native cooking house, — Ed, T, L. 



