* 
16 REPORT ON THE CAOUTCHOUC OE COMMERCE. 
it, as in Brazil, and a second is by encirling the tree with spiral cuts 
at an inclination of about 45° (Fig. 4). If the tree be large, two such 
spirals are made, either crossing each other or lying parallel with each 
other (Fig. 5). At the bottom of the trunk an iron spout is driven, 
and the milk received into iron pails. In the evening the milk is 
passed through a sieve in order to free it as much as possible from 
foreign matters, before transferring it to the barrels in which it 
has to be treated. The coalescence of the Caoutchouc is brought 
about by the addition of the juice of various plants, one named 
acliete , and another, or the same, named coasso. Dr. Seeman found 
that the acliete was the very common Ipomcea boiia-nox, a convolvu- 
laceous plant. This or these ’plants are collected and moistened 
with water, bruised, and the juice, after straining, added to the milk, 
one pint of the juice being sufficient to effect, the coalescence of 
one gallon of milk. The Caoutchouc, v after this operation to which 
the milk is subjected, appears as a soft mass floating in a brown 
fluid, and smelling like new cheese. This mass is subjected to 
pressure from a plank or iron roller, and is called a tortilla , and 
when dried weigh about two pounds, and generally the produce 
of one gallon of milk. If these plants are not procurable, about 
two parts of water is added to one part of milk, and allowed ' to 
stand for 12 hours. The residue which separates from the water is 
poured into vats made in the ground and left to dry. This drying 
takes from 12 to 14 days. Sometimes the milk is simply poured 
on prepared ground, and the watery 'portion allowed to evaporate 
or otherwise disappear. This, when dry, is subjected to pressure in 
order to get rid of the bolsas or pockets of watery liquid. These 
slabs of Caoutchouc are called torta, tortillas, or meros. When the 
Caoutchouc is allowed to dry in the iron trough, it is rolled into 
balls and called cabezza. That which dries in the cuts made in 
the tree^ is called bola or burucha , and is highly prized in New 
York. Merma or loss by drying is calculated at about 15 °/ 0 . 
Nicaragua. 
Caoutchouc, as has been seen, is an important article of export 
from Nicaragua, most of it going to New York. The production, 
chiefly of the San Juan district, from September 1869 to Sep- 
tember 1870, amounted to 10,000 quintals, giving employment to 
about 600 hulerds. 
