122 
f Ceylon Times , March 8th, 1905.) 
CEYLON RUBBER FROM THE 
MANUFACTURER’S POINT OF VIEW. 
Ceylon Inferior to Brazilian Rubber. 
Mr. G. C. S. Hodgson, of Lynnthorpe, Nuwara Eliya, sends us 
a very interesting report on a small sample of rubber which he sent 
home to the Director of one of the largest manufacturing rubber 
companies in Scotland. Mr. HODGSON writes : — “ We hear a good 
deal of brokers’ reports, but a report from the actual manufacturer 
not often. The latter part of the report, I think, most interesting, 
comparing, as it does Malay, Ceylon, and Brazilian Para. We in 
Ceylon have, up to the present, considered our rubber the best, but 
not so the manufacturer, The rubber 1 sent was from Somerset 
Estate, Gampola ” 
The report is as follows : — 
“I now return parts of the two samples you recently handed to-me. 
That marked “A” is the best colour as you will see for yourself, and 
for some manufacturing purposes would be preferable to “B, ” but 
for toughness the latter is the better of the two. 
I regret that our efforts to make a manufactured sample of each 
with the balance has failed, owing to the quantity being too small 
for manipulation, as I was anxious to have showed you them made 
up in this manner, and also some tensile tests. 
Both, however, are excellent quality, and in that respect similar 
to what is now being regularly imported. 
The price which these biscuits have recently realized in the mar- 
ket has varied from 6s. to 6 s.2d. per lb., while to-day’s price of 
Brazil Para is 5^. 3^. per lb. 
In arriving at the dean cost to a manufacturer it would be neces- 
sary to allow, say, 3 per cent, for loss on the Ceylon biscuits, and 18 
per cent, on the Para. 
Some few months ago, I carried out experiments to determine the 
respective merits of Malay States and Ceylon biscuits as compared 
with Brazil Para. Taking strips of each 3 in. long by £ in. square, 
and with a load of 7! lbs., the following elongations took place : — 
Malay States, gi in.; Ceylon, ioi in.; Brazilian Para, 13! in,; so 
that you will see that the Brazilian Para is much superior to either 
of the other two. There is not much difference between the Ceylon 
and Malay, though the forme- shows up better.” 
As to differences in tensility, one would much like to know more. 
The short resume of the manufacturer’s letter quoted above is hardly 
enough. How many samples of Malay and Ceylon rubber did he 
examine and how were they prepared? The difference in tensility 
may be due to age of the trees tapped or to age of the rubber. 
