Sept. 1906.] 



223 



Saps and Exudations. 



all very well so long as you have only a few hundred trees ; but when you have 

 thousands of acres, there must be some system which will ensure that the cuts 

 can as far as possible be clear for the tapping next morning. I mentioned at 

 Regalia that one prominent V. A. told me he had reduced his scrap 75 per cent, by 

 using these tins. I prefer not to use chemicals with the water though they will 

 keep the latex liquid. I have kept latex liquid for four weeks by using formalin, 

 but I prefer not to use chemicals at all for this. Ordinary water is good enough, 

 if you have a good tin with a heavy drip. 



" SPOTTY " BISCUITS. 



Mr. Watt :— When we have too much water we get spotty biscuits ? 



Mr. Wright :— I do not see why the rubber should be spotty because the 

 latex is mixed with water. Of course, if you make bubbles, you must get rid 

 of them. Bubbles are easily pricked or skimmed off. Perhaps you took two or 

 more thin biscuits and put them together and got the air bubbles in between ? 

 That is often done when the latex is very watery and the biscuits very thin. 



transport op uncoagulated latex. 



Mr. Thornhill :— In the sweet future when we have got these thousands 

 of acres you speak of in bearing, is it possible we may be able to send our uncoagulated 

 latex down to Colombo to a central factory several miles off ? 



Mr. Wright:— Some of you, Gentlemen, have got to send your latex every 

 day to the Rubber Exhibition in a liquid condition. We look towards you for it. 

 It is certainly possible to send the latex in a liquid condition though there are 

 great difficulties in the way. It may appear an easy matter, but I recommend you 

 to try it with an ordinary kerosene or rectaugular tin provided with one hole in 

 a corner, I should like you to make a trial and see how loug you can keep the 

 latex in a liquid state in such a receptacle. It is not always very easy to send the 

 latex in a liquid condition over a long distance. Latex can be kept liquid ; it has 

 been kept in that state for four weeks and at the end good commercial rubber 

 prepared from it. I once read of an account to the effect that latex had been sent 

 from the Amazon district to France. 



latex from rubber seed. 



Mr. P. D. G. Clark :— In the case of young fruit or mature fruit, has it been 

 ascertained what proportion of latex can be obtained from it at certain stages of 

 its development? 



Mr. Wright :— From the fruit ? 



Mr. Clark : — Yes, I ask the question in view of the glut in the seed product. 

 Seed will no longer be required, perhaps, in a couple of years hence, and I consider 

 a very large quantity of latex can be got from the young fruit at a certain stage, 

 What the best stage is I am not quite sure. 



Mr. Wright :— I think that, as Mr. Clark says, you can obtain a certain 

 amount of latex from the fruit wall and the substance of the seeds ; you can see that 

 it is possible, from the slides which I have brought with me ; there are little rubber 

 globules accumulating in the young latex tubes. But if you take a large quantity 

 of seeds and crush them, you will obtain a disappointing result. There is only a 

 very low percentage of caoutchouc in the latex of the seeds although the latex 

 is abundant enough. There is a lot of latex in the leaves aud twigs of the tree, but 

 it is very difficult to make proper rubber from it. I think the oil from the seeds 

 will come forward very soon, seeing that London firms are keen on it. They are 

 making experiments with it, I understand. 



Mr. Thornhill :— What will it be used for ? 



