3«3 
PARA RUBBER SEED. 
The prices which are obtainable at the present time for Para 
Rubber seeds for planting purposes being so high, other means of 
disposing of them are not necessary, but with hundreds of thousands 
of trees becoming seed-bearers the supply of seed for planting will 
soon be in excess of the demand. 
The commercial value of the seed of Hevea braziliensis has up 
to the present been rated on the amount and quality of the oil it 
possesses. 1 his oil is similar in its character to Linseed oil and for 
the manufacture of paints, varnishes, etc., and other purposes for 
which Linseed oil is used Para seed oil compares favourably. 
The following analysis of Para seed oil shows its composition 
which in comparison to Linseed is as good or better in everything 
except in Iodine value: — 
Specific gravity at 15 0 C. 
Free fatty acids — Acid value . 
Calculated oleic acid 
Ester value 
Neutral oil 
Saponification value 
Iodine value 
0‘9303 
.. 107 
5 '4 per cent 
I95-4 
.. 946 
.. 206-1 
.. 128-3 
The oil has not yet been obtained in sufficient quantities for its 
qualities to be adequately tested but manufacturers have offered 
a price of ^10 to £12 per ton for decorticated seed in> good 
condition. 
In order to estimate the weight which may be expected per acre 
or per roo trees, I weighed in Ceylon, a large number of seeds 
between 7,0 00 and 8,000, and found the .average weight of each 
seed to be ^ths of an oz. or 1 n seeds to 1 lb. 
The shell of the seed has as far as we know at present no com- 
mercial value and in order to save bulk in should be removed 
before shipping. 
It has been found that the loss in oil in decorticated rubber seed 
during transit to Europe is very little. 
To fir^d the relative weight of shell and kernel, I carefully weighed 
a few average seeds, and after taking the shell off weighed shell 
and kernel separately. The relative weight of kernel to shell is 
found to be 59-7 or approximately 60 per cent. 
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