361 



Saps and Exudations. 



in a few years from unknown causes. With these instances before me I feel 

 less inclined to treat the possibility of acetic acid or formalin causing rubber to 

 perish as absurd or fanciful, and until the question has been experimentally investi- 

 gated I should recommend that, wherever possible, the use of any chemical 

 whatever be avoided. The position is, therefore, this— some of the users of rubber 

 object to the rubber being cured with acid, and in the absence of experimental 

 evidence we are not justified in assuming acids, even vegetable ones such as 

 acetic, to be harmless. To avoid using any coagulant is only practically possible 

 where a mechanical treatment of the rubber by a washing machine is in use, and 

 then it is a matter for consideration whether the use of acid, which has been 

 extremely convenient in assisting and controlling coagulation, should be dis- 

 continued from fear that such use will produce a rubber which will not stand 

 the test of time, and which will, perhaps, injure in the future the reputation of 

 plantation-grown and cured rubber." 



Artificial heat for drying rubber is deprecated, as it almost always leads to the 

 softening of the rubber, and sometimes to tackiness ; and Mr. Burgess further considers 

 that vacuum drying chambers used in some factories at home woidd be useless on 

 tropical estates. This chamber is a large iron box, of 100 to 200 cubic feet capacity, 

 fitted inside with shallow iron trays (Avith perforated bottoms, and heated with steam 

 pipes. The interior is connected by an iron pipe with an exhaust pump. On this 

 phase of the subject Mr. Burgess concludes as follows :— 



" I should certainly not recommend any form of drying in which artificial 

 heat is necessary, and which involves the elaboration of machinery and increase 

 in power in doing what, with washed rubber, can be done in a more simple, safe 

 and natural manner." 



CEYLON'S PLACE IN THE RUBBER INDUSTRY. 

 Interview with Mr. Richard Hoffman. 

 Mr. Richard Hoffman, the well-known London financier has been " doing" 

 Ceylon with rubber in view, besides being directly interested in the industry 

 in partnership with well-known Ceylon planters. During his two months' stay in 

 the island Mr. Hoffman has been nearly everywhere and seen nearly everything 

 there is to see in connection with rubber, having added considerably to his know- 

 ledge gained on previous visits to Ceylon and through his connection with the 

 London market ; and his opinions may, therefore, be considered as those of an expert. 

 In answer to a query as to what he thought of Ceylon as a rubber-producing 

 country, Mr. Hoffman intimated " worlds." Coming straight out from all the 

 excitement of rubber-company-promoting at home, one would naturally expect Mr. 

 Hoffman to continue his tour of investigation to the Straits. Instead, however, 

 Mr. Hoffman does not intend to go further eastward. " Ceylon is good enough for 

 me," he says. 



Asked what he considered the best rubber district, Mr. Hoffman said : " I have 

 been to see all the rubber districts I could see. It is almost impossible to make 

 comparisons as to which is the best. It seems to me really that rubber is doing good 

 everywhere except above a certain height. Above 1,500 feet the growth seems to be 

 backward. I saw the best rubber, however, in Kalutara, Matale, and Kurunegala. 

 I was very much impressed by the splendid rubber on Arapolakande, one of the 

 Eastern Produce Co.'s estate at Kalutara, which has perhaps the oldest rubber I 

 have seen, with the exception of Henaratgoda. On the former estate I saw a 

 95-inch tree. One of the finest young estates I have seen in the island is St. George's 

 which I am sorry to hear is being kept for Ceylon flotation, instead of Londoners 

 being given a chance." 



