December, 1908.] 



507 



Saps and Exudations. 



Sandmann himself takes the latter 

 view, and one cannot but feel rightly. 

 If planting is taken up in the Amazon 

 valley, it will greatly reduce cost of 

 production. He gives figures of cost of 

 provisions on the upper river compared 

 with those in Rio. 



Flour 1,000 reis against 85 



Sugar 1,500 ,, 500 



Rice 1,500 „ 290 



Tobacco 1,000 „ 1,600 

 and so on. 



If agriculture begins, better houses, 

 in healthier situations, Avill be built for 

 the workers, and they would tend to 

 settle, so that the advances would be 

 less. Further, actual planting of rubber 

 could be taken up, 



[This article will repay study by those 

 who are interested in more than the 

 immediate prospects of rubber, and who 

 look to the -future. There is too much 

 tendency in Ceylon to pooh-pooh what is 

 done elsewhere, because we are British 

 and have plenty of cheap labour, — Bd.'J 



RUBBERS FROM TRINIDAD. 



A collection of rubbers prepared in 

 Trinidad from trees growing on land 

 belonging to the Botanical Department 

 or on private estates was recently for- 

 warded for examination to the Imperial 

 Institute. The collection included sam- 

 ples of Para, Castilloa, Funtumia and 

 Landolphia rubbers, according to the 

 following list, which also gives notes 

 supplied regarding them:— 

 No. 



1. Para biscuit from tree A. IS atural coagulation. 

 „ „ B 

 ,, trees A and 



B (mixed) ,, ,, 



11 11 J, A !) 11 



„ „ B 

 ,> >> >) A 



ball ,, „ A "1 Wound out of cuts 

 > daily after taking 

 ball , , ,, B J flowing milk, 



2- 

 3. 



i. 

 5. 

 6. 

 7. 



9. 



scrap, trees A and B. 



The two trees which furnished the 

 above specimens are stated to be from 

 30 to 35 years old and are about the 

 same size. Both have been determined 

 to be Hevea brasiliensis, but it is thought 

 in Trinidad that the rubber they yield 

 is of different quality. 



No. 10. Castilloa rubber. Cake. Wash- 

 ed in three waters, skimmed and 

 allowed to coagulate in glass saucer. 



No. 11. Castilloa rubber. Cake. Latex 

 washed through strainer with 12 volumes 

 of water and left in vessel to coagulate. 

 It was taken as a cake from surface six 

 days afterwards and pressed. 



No- 12. Castilloa scrap. Collected 

 from trees which furnished Nos. 10 

 and 11. 



These specimens were prepared from 

 Castilloa trees which were planted to 

 fill up the gaps in a permanent plot 

 of Hevea brasiliensis. The trees are lh 

 years old, but are of small size owing 

 to the Hevea trees outgrowing them. 



No. 13. Funtumia elastica rubber. 

 Coagulated by boiling. The rubber was 

 collected from 7£ year old trees. 



No. 14. Landolphia Kirkii rubber. 

 Wound out of cuts a few seconds 

 after cutting. 



Tlie foregoing specimens Nos. 1 to 14, 

 were all prepared from trees growing 

 on lands belonging to the Botanical 

 Department. 



Nos. 15 and 16. Castilloa block and 

 scrap from trees 17 years old. 



Nos. 17 & 18. Castilloa sheet and scrap. 

 Nos. 19 & 20. „ „ „ „ y 



No. 21. „ from trees 6 



years old, 



Nos. 22 and 23. ,, „ and scrap. 



These specimens Nos. 15 to 23 represent 

 the rubber which is being produced at 

 the present time on private estates in 

 Trinidad, and for which, it is stated, 

 prices of from 3s. to 4s. 3d. per lb. are 

 being obtained. 



No. 24, Venezuelan balata {Mimusops 

 globosa). 



No. 25, Venezuelan Loranthus rubber. 

 The results of the chemical examina- 

 tion and commercial valuation of these 

 samples are given in the following 

 account : — 



Para Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis). 



Nos. 1 and 4 " Para rubber. Tree A, 

 Age 30-35 years. Natural coagulation." 

 Weight 4 oz. 



Two thin biscuits, from 5 to 6 inches 

 in diameter and £ inch thick, with 

 rather rough surface. 



The rubber was light reddish-brown, 

 clean, well prepared and free from 

 stickiness ; its physical properties were 

 very satisfactory. 



The following results were obtained 

 on analysis : — 



Rubber as Composition of 



received. dry rubber. 



Per cent. Per cent. 



Moisture ... 2*0 — 



Caoutchouc 93-0 94*9* 



Resin ... 3-1 3*2 



Proteids ... 1-6 1*6 



Ash ... 0-3 0-3 



in 



* Soluble in Chloroform 93'6 percent ; insoluble 

 chloroform P3 per cent. 



