4 
The oil is of a dirty brown colour and is considerably improved 
in colour by treatment with caustic alkalies. 
It is evident that it would not be profitable to extract the oil from 
this material as the yield w8uld be very small and the technical 
difficulties of handling a seed with such a large percentage of so 
hard a shell are very great. 
JOSEPH GROSFIELD & SONS, Ltd 
per J. A. 
PLANTATION RUBBER. 
The Question of Quality. 
In the first place comes a letter from the managing director of 
one of the first rubber factories in Great Britain to experiment with 
Ceylon rubber. He writes : 
“ We have only as yet used plantation rubber experimentally and 
sparingly. Until it arrives in greater quantities it is too dear for the 
general trade, since the solution makers can afford to pay 2 pence 
a pound more for it than ordinary mechanical manufacturers. 
When it arrives in excess of the solution requirements, the prices 
will rectify themselves. 
“ We don’t make solution for the trade, but merely for our own 
requirements. The quantity from any one estate is yet too trivial 
to be worth much attention, and as yet the London auction sales 
offer the best choice for the buyer and best price for the seller. 
“ The qualities vary even from the same estate, according to the 
age of the trees, whilst yet so young. We judge that the rubber 
has not attained its full strength till the tree is at least 8 or 9 years 
old ; younger than that, though good gum, it has not the strength 
of hard cure Madeira fine Para, and is uneven in strength. There 
is no difference noticeable in the rubber from 8 year old trees from 
different plantations. We have used about 4 to 5 tons in testing it, 
from about 20 plantations. As yet it is not safe to use for the 
finest work, such as India-rubber thread and the best bladders, but 
where a * weak Para 1 will do it is all right. 
A member of the British rubber trade, though not at present a 
manufacturer, to whom the preceding lines were shown, offers this 
suggestion : 
“ It is true that an absolutely fair test of plantation rubber in 
comparison with Brazilian Para rubber has not yet been possible, 
owing to the fact that the Ceylon and Straits products so far have 
been marked in such small lots — though the aggregate may have 
been important — and varying so in quality and condition that the 
manufacturer seeking to use these sorts has been unable to obtain 
either an important quantity at one time or an assured supply of a 
given quality for regular consumption. These things will right 
