Gums, Resins, 



136 



LMarch 1907. 



be laid on board wet, if put on dry, it will warp and give an uneven sheet of rubber. 

 Having the board and paper laid on wet, now proceed to tack on the rim or frame, 

 which should be from 1£ inch,, high to 1| inch, and your box will be ready for 

 coagulating. As soon as the latex is brought in from the field, I add four times 

 its volume of water, then strain through a fine metal sieve ; then I place the whole 

 in a cone bottom tin tank to settle, which takes about one hour. I then decant off 

 the water until the latex becomes as thick as when it came from the tree, then I 

 pour it in my boxes and the water that is in the latex, which cannot be decanted off 

 will pass the absorbent paper in about ten minutes leaving the rubber. 



I then expose it to a heat of 110 degrees F. for 5 or 6 hours, when the rubber 

 can be lifted off the box. A new sheet has to be put on after being used 10 or 12 times. 

 The time of exposure to heat varies and it is hard to give a correct formula in this 

 respect, but one soon learns by the feel of the sheets, just when to take them from 

 the boxes. I take them oft' as soon as my fingers do not stick, when pressed against 

 them- I may mention here that this method is for Caslilloa elaslica. The Hevca 

 latex passes through the absorbent paper. I am carrying on experiments now and 

 expect soon to be able to handle both kinds of latex. Rubber coagulated on the 

 above method becomes transparent like Ceylon biscuits, and runs it a close second in 

 price ; we aim to bring it up to par. 



Bluefields, Nicaragua. S. W. SINCLAIR. 



[Bulletin of the Department of Agriculture, Jamaica, May, 1906.] 



INDIA RUBBER MARKET. 

 London, January 18th, 1907.— At to-day's auction, 494 packages of Ceylon 

 and Malaya plantation grown rubber were under offer, of which about 481 were 

 sold. The total weight amounted to over 31 tons, Ceylon contributing over 7 and 

 Malaya over 24. There was very strong bidding in to-day's auctions, and prices 

 generally showed a decided advance, as much as threepence per lb. being frequently 

 recorded. There were several attractive parcels of crepe, sheet, etc. The highest 

 price, 5s lid, was realised for an exceptionally fine parcel of Rangbodde Ceara 

 biscuits. All kinds of crepe were again keenly competed for, and a fine lot from 

 the Consolidated Malay Co. brought the highest price for this grade, viz., 5s 10^d 

 per lb. Plantation fine to-day.— 5s Qhd to 5s lid, same period last year, 6s to 6s l£d. 

 Plantation scrap.-4s 6|d to 4s 9d, same period last year, 3s 5d to 5s 3M. Pine hard 

 Para (South American).— 5s 3d, same period last year, 5s 3M. Average price of 

 Ceylon and Straits Settlements plantation rubber, 481 packages at 5s 6|d per lb., 

 against 292 packages at 5s 3id per lb. at last auction. Particulars and prices 

 as follows : — 



CEYLON. 



MARK. QUANTITY, DESCRIPTION AND PRICE PER LB. 



Ellakande 3 cases fine pale biscuits, 5s 8|d. 



Nikakotua 3 do good darkish pressed crepe, 5s 2£d. 



Culloden 3 do good palish biscuits, 5s 8|d. 6 cases fine pale crepe, 5s 10£d. 



6 cases good darkish crepe, 5s 44d : 4 cases fine pale crepe, 

 5s 10hd ; 4 cases darker, 5s 3|d ; 2 cases dark, 5s l^d. 



Ingoya 5 do fine palish to darkish biscuits, 5s 8]d ; 1 case good darkish 



scrap, 4s 7jd. 



Hattangalla 3 do good biscuits, 5s 8fd ; 1 case palish pressed crepe, 5s 4id ; 



1 case black, 5s. 



Langsland 12 do good biscuits, 5s 8f d ; 1 bag darkish sheet, 5s 8|d. 



Plnntarf 2 do good palish to darkish biscuits. 5s 9|d ; 1 case brown 



UlontarI crepe, 5s 3£d ; 1 case darkish and dark crepe, 5s 0|d. 



