Nov. 1906.] 



359 



Saps and Exudations. 



overltheir objection if they want the rubber. The same with scrap. The old hand- 

 made form is still the most popular, for the reason that buyers can see exactly what 

 is in it, while the majority of crepe scrap is dark and appears to have foreign matter 

 in it. But I understand that the former is far more trouble and takes a great deal 

 longer to prepare than the latter. Therefore it will have to come as crepe, and 

 buyers will get to know certain marks and will be sure of what they are getting and 

 always stick to them. 



At present crepe is valued almost entirely on colour, and I heard of a case 

 from a planter where he sent home some scrap crepe of very good colour, and realised 

 within a shade of fine ; but he thought he would improve on it by making it thicker 

 which, of course, made it appear darker ; for this he only got the price of scrap. 



NEW FORMS OF RUBBER. 



It is very hard to find out if a new form is liked on the market. A planter 

 may invent some new method and ship a parcel over. Buyers eye it suspiciously 

 and will not give its real value, the planter hears the result of the sale and stops 

 making any more and goes back to the old. Things must find their level soon, and 

 we hope before long to get manufacturers to say definitely what they like best. All 

 they say at present is that they want evenness in every way ; that is to say, good, 

 strong, pure rubber of good appearance and colour. It doesn't matter whether pale 

 or amber so long as it is bright looking and transparent. This is of course rather 

 difficult to get owing to the strength varying so. probably due to difference in the 

 age of the trees ; when the quantity of Plantation Rubber has increased considerably, 

 buyers will be able to pick and choose the stronger and better lots, and I have no 

 doubt that there will be a considerable difference in price between the two qualities. 

 The reason why all the fine fetch within a fraction of each other is because the 

 buyers have to take good and indifferent alike— the quantity offered at one time not 

 giving them the chance to pick out the stronger and better lots. 



SEPARATING RUBBER FROM OLD AND YOUNG TREES. 



Planters ask if it would pay them to keep the rubber from old trees separate 

 from the young ; for undoubtedly the strength of the rubber is in a great measure 

 due to the age of the trees from which it is obtaiued ; and I think most of us are 

 agreed that this is so, after seeing the samples from old trees at the Exhibition. I 

 do not th'nk it would pay to keep the two separate at present ; but I have no doubt 

 that in the near future, when quantities increase, it will. 



With regard to the tapping of young trees, it may not do the trees them- 

 selves any harm, but it is likely to lower the high standard at which you are all 

 aiming. I have every hope and have no doubt that plantation rubber will be the 

 standard of the world, not only in purity but in strength, and all the properties for 

 which the Amazon rubber is noted. But I should not decide for certain that when 

 your trees are old all their rubber will be stronger, fori have seen some biscuits from 

 21-year old trees as weak as anything. (Applause.) 



THE DISCUSSION. 



Dr. Willis said he thought that they had just listened to a most inter- 

 esting lecture from Mr. Devitt. He was sure the subject of packing rubber for 

 London was of very great importance to all planters. He would like to call special 

 attention to what the lecturer had said about the mixing of rubber. He said that at 

 present the amount of rubber that went to London was so small, that it did not very 

 much matter. He had occasionally seen people mixing biscuits from very young 

 trees with biscuits from very old trees. He had found two biscuits in the same lot, 

 one of which was good and strong, and the other which was much weaker and could 

 be pulled in half with some effort. As soon as the market got large quantities of 



