EXPERIMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF 
PREPARATION & PACKING SMOKED 
RUBBER FOR TRANSPORT & THE 
MARKET. 
The following correspondence and analyses refer to a series of 
experiments conducted at the Botanic Gardens Singapoie, foi the 
purpose of determining how smoked rubber would travel best, such 
correspondence must therefore be read in the light of purely experi- 
mental work and it will be noted that in all instances the criticisms 
suggest and refer to methods of treatment, as the inherent quality of 
the rubber as revealed by the analyses supplied is generally satis- 
factory, and in some instances very little improvement could be 
expected; indeed, it is doubtful if some of the samples have ever 
been surpassed. 
The latex was coagulated by the smoke process in long ribbons 
and some samples were despatched a few days after coagulation to 
London, after being wound in balls and the rubber considerably 
stretched. Other samples were kept longer and were naturally much 
drier but also wound in balls and stretched in winding, and, as will 
be seen, such stretching had a deteriorating effect on the rubber. 
The biscuit and sheet referred to in the following correspondence 
was merely a small lot of ordinary rubbet for sale. 
London, I2th January, 1911. 
H. N. Ridley, Esq., 
Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 
Dear Sir, 
In further reply to your three favours dated 27th October, 17th 
November and 1st December, respectively, we have held back our 
detailed report on the various samples enumerated by you until now, 
as those referred to in your letter of the 17th November have only 
just come to hand. 
We have carefully selected average samples of each kind and 
requested Professor Wyndham Dunstan to have analyses carried out, 
and the results of these will be forwarded to you in due course. 
We have now examined the various samples and have pleasure 
in reporting as follows : — 
Rubber Described by you as Smoked Brazilian Method. Very 
dark thin irregular shaped sheets. These appear to be composed of 
thin films of rubber pressed together. They have arrived in excellent 
condition, in that they are quite free from mould, etc. They have the 
appearance of very thorough smoking, and the surfaces on arrival 
had a peculiar greasiness similar to, but more pronounced than that 
