4i 6 
quantity, some doubts have been cast upon its quality. It appears 
to differ essentially from the best Para rubber, but whether this is 
an inherent peculiarity due to the soil or climate, or age of the 
trees, or merely to the treatment it receives in preparing it for 
the market, has yet to be determined." As a matter of fact, 'Para' 
rubber from the Malay Peninsula fetches prices equal to the best 
Ceylon, and about io per cent, over ‘Para’ rubber from the Ama- 
zon. Last month cultivated rubber from the Bukit Rajah Rubber 
Company’s estate in the Malay Peninsula' fetched the wonderful 
price of $/7\d. per lb., a price which it is believed has never been 
reached by rubber from uncultivated trees from any country in the 
world. If any doubts have been cast upon the quality of rubber 
from the Straits, as the “ Field" correspondent indicates they 
should be set at rest by the opinion of Dr. WEBER, the greatest 
living authority on rubber. The following is his analysis and 
opinion of this rubber, which sold for $/7\d. per lb., and 1 may 
here say that in my opinion all the plantations of cultivated rubber 
in the Malay 'Peninsula are likely to give equally good results : — 
This rubber was prepared from 6i-year old Hevea trees on the 
Sungei Bengal division of the Bukit Rajah Company's estates. 
The sample contains 
India Rubber 
95-37 per cent, 
Resinous extracts 
3'C2 
Albuminous matter . . . 
1*24 „ 
Mineral matter 
o *37 
100.00 
The sample was free from moisture. The rubber is extremely 
strong, and its vulcanising properties are fully equal to those of 
pure 'Para’, indeed the vulcanised product is nearly io per cent, 
higher in tensile strength than a sample of commercial fine Para 
cured side by side with it. 
I have, etc., 
H. K. RUTHERFORD. 
(The Tropical Agriculturist Vol. XXIV, p. 366.) 
CEYLON RUBBER, ITS PREPARATION AND 
IMPROVEMENT. 
T# e Consumer’s View. 
Mincing Lane, London, E. C. 
30th August, 1904. 
To the Editor. 
Dear Sir,— We are duly in receipt of your favour of the 12th 
instant, respecting Ceylon-grown Para Rubber and its preparation, 
&c., by Ceylon planters. In the first place this rubber has not 
come yet in sufficient quantities to prove what it is worth to the 
