Miscellaneous. 



451 



(November, 1909. 



consists of three floors with a drying 

 apparatus on the bottom floor. The hot 

 air is provided by means of a break fur- 

 nace placed outside the building, 

 through the wall of which a number of 

 iron pipes of a diameter-of 4 to G inches 

 convey the hot air into the drying 

 chamber. The latter is of a semi-circular 

 form, of galvanized sheeting about 5 

 feet wide and 3 feet or more high at the 

 rounded surface. A fan is placed at the 

 opposite end to the furnace so that the 

 hot air circulates freely in the chamber- 



The floor immediately above the drying 

 apparatus is formed of narrow boards 

 laid lengthwise with joints about \ to \ 

 an inch apart. Over this floor cocouut 

 matting is laid, on which the wet beans 

 are spread. 



The building is well ventilated, and dur- 

 ing the worst weather the drying of the 

 beans can be successfully and most expe- 

 ditiously accomplished on a large scale. 

 After the beans have been sufficiently 

 dried, they are removed to the top floor, 

 where they are stored or placed at once 

 in bags for shipment. 



As in the case of Para rubber there is 

 no data regarding cacao planting in the 

 Protectorate. Experiments are being 

 commenced at the Government Farm, 

 Mazeras, this season, and a year or two 

 should furnish reliable indications in 

 the matter. Rainfall and humidity are 

 the only doubtful factors, the other 

 essentials such as temperature and soil 

 can be found at several parts of the 

 coast, and the necessary shade plants 

 are easily provided. 



A drying-house of the kind described 

 should prove useful in East Africa for 

 drying copra, ceara rubber, grain, cotton, 

 fibres, etc. 



Berredwella (Matale District).— A 

 small but up-to-date Para rubber factory 

 was seen working here, belonging to the 

 Rosenhaugh Tea and Rubber Company. 



The latex is placed iu enamelled pails 

 which are about half filled. Into this 

 quantity of latex, from one to two 

 teaspoonfulls of stong acetic acid is 

 mixed, causing coagulation. The masses 

 of coagulated latex are taken out of the 

 pails and placed on tables, by means of 

 a large sharp knife, and cut into sections 

 of about \\ inches in thickness, the coagu- 

 lated rubber can also be cut into lengths 

 of several feet above \\ inches thick. 



The pieces of raw rubber are next 

 passed through the washing or crepe 

 machine several times until it has the 

 required thinness. 



The washing machine consists of a 

 pair of strong corrugated rollers, on to 

 which a jet of water is continually 

 spraying. The machine is very strongly 

 constructed in order to withstand the 

 57 



great pressure exerted in passing the 

 pieces of rubber through the rollers. 



The thin sheets of rubber are passed 

 through a set of smooth rollers and are 

 then ready for drying. 



A special "Vacuum Dryer" by Emil 

 Passburg, Berlin, is in use at this factory. 



The sheets of wet rubber are placed on 

 perforated zinc trays in the dryer, 

 where the rubber stays for about 2.\ 

 hours. The rubber is then taken out 

 and sorted into clear and dark sheets. 



When thoroughly dry the rubber is 

 packed is cases like tea chests for export. 



The output of dry rubber at Berrede- 

 wella was about 2,200 lbs. for 1908. 



The Vacuum Dryer is not generally in 

 use in Ceylon, as drying can be done 

 successfully by simplei and less expen- 

 sive methods. 



It was understood that the cost of 

 a washing or crepe machiue was about 

 £40, though all particulars regarding 

 tea, rubber and such like machinery can 

 be obtained from Walker & Co., Colombo 

 and Kandy. 



Ceara Rubber (Manihot Glaziovii). ■ 

 Many old Ceara Rubber trees are seen 

 iu various parts of Ceylon, but syste- 

 matic cultivation of the rubber has for 

 some years past received little if any 

 attention. Now, however, there is evi- 

 dence that Ceara is agaiu coming into 

 favour due to improved methods of 

 tapping, and the knowledge that the 

 trees can be tapped and good rubber 

 produced at a much earlier age than was 

 formerly thought practicable. 



I discussed the matter of Ceara rubber 

 cultivation with Sir Daniel Morris, at the 

 Colonial Office, ho expressed the opinion 

 that the dryer climate of the coast and 

 hinterland of East Africa, compared with 

 West Indies and Ceylon, is seemingly 

 very suitable to Ceara rubber. 



Mr. Kelway Bamber and others in 

 Ceylon share Sir Daniel Morrife' views as 

 regards the suitable conditions existing 

 in East Africa for Ceara rubber growing. 



Both the authorities quoted above hold 

 the opinion expressed by the Government 

 Experts in German East Africa that the 

 future success of Ceara rubber largely 

 depends on a careful selection of seed 

 for propagating purposes from such 

 trees as have proved to be good rubber 

 producers. 



Oil and Oil-Cake from Para Rubber 

 Seed.— On oue of the estates forming 

 the "Galphele Group "in the Matale 

 District experiments have recently been 

 conducted on a small scale, in extracting 

 oil from Para rubber seed by rolling. 



Several gallons of expressed oil were 

 seen by me at this place, and a case of 

 compressed oilcakes, which the manager 

 was shipping to England as samples, 



