NEW LITERATURE IN RUBBER. 
A New Rubber-Tester. 
Mr. Clayton Beadle sends a pamphlet reprinted from the 
ournal of the Society of Chemical Industry, giving an account and 
diagrams of a new machine for the mechanical testing of India-rubber 
designed by himself and Mr. H. J. Sterear. 
The authors point out that some four or five years ago, in 
attempting to test the tensile strength of India-rubber goods, no 
machine was found to be suitable. The difficulty lay in the irregula- 
rity of shape and often of the smallness of the size of the rubber 
samples, so that it was difficult to cut stripes of uniform size and 
thickness, and also that in samples containing a small proportion of 
mineral matter they are liable to be crushed in the jaws and to tear 
just inside one or other of the grips. Eventually it was found that 
this tearing could be overcome by cutting test pieces in the form of 
: rings and stretching them between smooth hooks. 
The machine, of which a diagram is given, is made by Messrs. 
Baird and Tatlock, and seems to be a suitable one and not very 
expensive. Appliances for cutting samples into rings for testing are 
also described. 
The India Rubber Quarter Century Number. 
This is a finely illustrated series of articles by well-known 
authorities on India-rubber and its industry. Mr. Terry begins 
after an introduction by the Editor, with a retrospect of the industry 
. for 25 years, showing how immense are the changes which have taken 
place, and especially in the botanical, chemical and physical aspects 
of the industry. The manufacture is dealt with by Messrs. Torrey, 
7; Stevens, Frost, Schidrowitz, Spence, A, poster, and Elvery. The 
cultivation in the Fast is described by Messrs. Rutherford, Ridley, 
. Parkin, John Turner, Bryce; Pears, Galledge, Malcolm Cumming, 
.v : Arden, Fraser, Ferguson, in Brazil by A. Russan, Africa by Johnson, 
:: German New Guinea cby P.reuss, Castilloa in Tobago by Captain 
Short, West -Indies: -Sir 7 D. Morris, and Mr. Hart* the Guayule 
industry by C. A. Fox, Dutch Indies by “ Senex,” and Southern India 
by Mr. Windle. -i 
Professor Labray gives some account and good photographs of 
the manicobas. M. Piauhyensis seems to be a curious stunted plant 
. which is tapped on the main roots. - :v. 
There are a good many unsigned articles also, chiefly on the. sub- 
ject of the industry. The illustrations are excellent and interesting, 
and there are portraits of almost everyone connected largely in the 
trade and planting. » 
The whole work is of interest todhose who ‘have any connection 
with the rubber trade or cultivation."— Ed." : ' 
