Gums, Renins, 



118 



III. 



The Avon India Rubber Co., Ltd., 



Melksham, Wilts, Jan. 17. 

 Dear Sir, — We thank you for your letter of the 22nd ult., and are pleased to 

 note the encouragement you are giving to rubber planting in Ceylon. As regards 

 manufacturers buying in Ceylon we doubt whether this is likely to take place unless 

 arrangements could be made direct between manufacturers and planters. We do not 

 think it is more likely in future than at present for manufacturers to start factories 

 in Ceylon. — Yours truly, 



THE AVON INDIA RUBBER CO., LTD. 



R. A. Fuller, Manager. 



IV. 



Openshaw, Manchester, Jan. 19. 

 Dear Sirs, — We are in receipt of your favour of the 22nd, and in reply there 

 to think it is hardly possible to give any criticism on your remarks in the Ceylon 

 Observer of the 22nd ult. We, however, think it is necessary for manufacturers of 

 any article to have their works as near as possible to their markets ; and as the rub- 

 ber industry is divided up into many different branches, it would mean that several 

 mills would be necessary to supply the various demands. Candidly, our opinion is 

 that the manufacture would not pay in your country, and that the climate would be 

 unsuitable for the storage of manufactured goods.— We are, dear Sirs, yours 

 faithfully, 



THE GORTON RUBBER COMPANY, L1MITTED., 



E. L. Curbishley. 



— Ceylon Observer. 



A STANDARD FOR RUBBER WANTED. 



An important ideal, which we think should be of great use to the rubber 

 planter in connection with the description and sale of his produce, has been suggested 

 to us to-day by a leading planter. It is that there should be a general standard by 

 which rubber could be tested in three respects :— for (1) its transparency, (2) its exten- 

 sibility, and (3) its elasticity. For transparency, it should be possible to read type of 

 a recognised size through a certain thickness of rubber, and by the size of type and 

 rubber thickness the standard of its transparency would be measured. For extensi- 

 bility a length of rubber of a certain width would be suspended, with a standard 

 weight attached, and from the original length (shown on a scale placed against the 

 length of rubber) the co-ehicient of extensibility could be found by dividing this into 

 the length to which the rubber was extended by the weight. Elasticity would be 

 shown by the length to which the strip would recover from its extended size— say to 

 5 or ID per cent, above its original length still— within a certain time; this time 

 would be five minutes at most— resilience, if it exists, being necessary at once. Five 

 per cent is about the loss of weight on the voyage to Europe, and the rubber loses 

 thereby in the last two qualities dealt with ; but the original test would serve the 

 buyers in Colombo for testing, and the planter could at the same time test the rubber 

 for himself by the standard, when established, and find out its value. We commend 

 the suggestion to the Planters Association Committee.— Ceylon Observer. 



NOTES FOR RUBBER PLANTERS. 

 Mr. AndreAV O. Devitt, member of the London rubber broking firm of Messrs. 

 Lewis & Peat, has recently arrived on a visit to Ceylon, in order to get into 

 close touch with the planter^ here. That a firm of brokers should go to the 



